Free Firebrand by R.M. Prioleau

smiled. He held the symbol over the candle and witnessed the flame lick away the impurities, leaving the charm gleaming like new. Mesmerized by the sheer beauty that lay beneath the layer of dirt, Kaijin felt glittering sparks form at the edges of his vision. While he held the symbol in his hands, his mind surged with feelings of adoration. He thought he heard the candle’s flame summon him.
    Ignis?
    The recesses of his soul called out to the ethereal voids in his mind, and the sweet whisperings of the dancing flame responded, compelling Kaijin to reach out and touch the flame. As his hand drew closer to the candle, he noted the faint glow of the charm pulsating at the same tempo as his own heartbeat. Simultaneously, the heat from the charm intensified. Kaijin promptly retracted his hand and shook off the trance state.
    “So ... strange ...” Kaijin mumbled. Still unsure about what he’d experienced, Kaijin hid the charm under his pillow.
    The room became stuffy as the hours passed, and Kaijin slid out of bed to open the window. Fresh air poured in, extinguishing the candle. Kaijin stared out at the shadows of the city’s streets and listened to the crickets and other sounds of the twilight hours. As he returned to his bed, he heard the sound of fluttering wings followed by the feeling of something furry grazing his cheek. Kaijin jumped and almost screamed. His nervous eyes searched the room. A soft screech came from above. He peered up and spied a small, brown bat. Its wings were folded around its furry body. It hung upside down from a rafter, staring at him with intent, ochre eyes.
    Kaijin locked eyes with the animal and scrambled over to his brother’s bed. “Rorick! Wake up! There’s a bat in here!”
    Rorick stirred. “What?”
    “Look! A bat!” He pointed at the small animal. “We have to get out of here before it bites us!”
    Rorick followed Kaijin’s gaze, and his mouth fell open as if he might scream. He latched onto Kaijin’s arm. “M–m–monster!”
    “No, not a monster.” Kaijin held tight to his brother. “But very bad things might happen if it bites us. I remember reading it in a book, once. We could get really sick. We could get nasty green spots and—”
    Tears froze in Rorick’s brown eyes. His body trembled in fear. He released his grip on Kaijin, jumped out of bed, and rushed to the door. “Hurry! Let’s find Master Jarial before it eats us!”
    Kaijin followed, keeping an eye on the animal. They were only footsteps away from the door when the bat swooped down from the rafters and dove at Kaijin.
     
    *  *  *
     
    Jarial was locked away in the cellar, engrossed in his own work. At his desk covered with alchemical tools, Jarial measured small quantities of phosphorus powder and stored them in individual vials. He labeled each vial and scribbled notes in his journal. Sable curled up atop the desk, gazing curiously at his yellow-paged leather journal. She let out an irritable hiss.
    Jarial glanced up from his measuring device. The cat’s ears twitched.
    Sable hissed again and licked her upper lip.
    “What is it, Sable?” Jarial cast a questioning look at his troubled familiar.
    Sable meowed in response, hopped off the desk, and padded through the illusionary door leading upstairs.
    He observed her for a moment before following. She led him to the kitchen where he discovered Kaijin and Rorick huddled under the table, shaking in fear, while a small brown bat hung from the ceiling above them.
    Sable leapt onto the table and hissed at the bat. She stood on her hind legs and attempted to paw at the intruder, but it was beyond her reach.
    Jarial narrowed his eyes at the scene. “What is going on? Get out from under there this instant, you two!”
    Keeping a watchful eye on the bat, Kaijin was the first to reluctantly crawl out from under the table and stand beside Jarial. “I think—I think it flew in when I opened the window. It won’t go away, Master. It keeps following me! I think