Spark of War (Progression Fantasy)

"Thanks for checking in, Nexin," Laze said. "Take care of yourself out there. And don't push yourself so hard."

"Pushing myself is what I'm here for," Nexin replied, the communication magic making it sound like he was standing right beside her. Except he wasn't. He was just at the barest edge of the range of the magic – maybe even beyond that. Then again, this was Nexin. Usual rules and limitations didn't apply to him. "I'm going to take a run up the coast towards that next fort, see if they need my help. I'll check in again in a few hours."

"Okay, we'll be moving again soon," Laze said loudly enough for the other three in their small campsite to also hear. "You'll need to come further inland to reach us."

"No problem. I'll talk to you later, then. And, Laze, you take care of yourself too. Nidina, that means you also," Nexin said, the magic changing slightly to include the other Firestorm.

"Ugh," Nidina replied. "Now both you and El have asked me. Laze is a big girl; she can take care of herself."

"I know. I was asking you to take care of yourself," Nexin said. "You're important to everybody as well."

"Oh… uh, well, of course," Nidina replied.

"Good. I'll talk to you both soon. Nexin, out."

"Isn't he absolutely the best?" Laze asked Nidina.

"More like a beast, if you were talking to that flaming crazy-man back from the fort," Tas said from where he lay literally sprawled out on the ground. Apparently flying wasn't his favorite activity. Or, it could've been how Nidina seemed to barely be holding on to him, so he spent the first thirty miles screaming he was going to fall and die.

He hadn't.

"He is," Macer agreed. "How many more are there like him? If you guys have an army of people at his level, we might actually have a chance."

"Nobody else quite like Nexin," Laze said, then caught herself starting to daydream, and coughed into her hand.

"Girlish fantasies aside," Nidina said with a chuckle, "Laze isn't lying. Nexin is one-of-a-kind."

"Sure is," Laze couldn't stop herself from saying.

"Strength-wise," Nidina clarified. "Even our other elite, and the Ignitio – while they still existed – couldn't hold a candle to him."

"That's too bad," Macer said, sipping from her canteen while she sat comfortably propped up against one of the stone, tree-like spikes. "Why's he so powerful?"

"No idea," Laze said.

Macer made a face that clearly said Oh, really?

"Seriously. This isn't some secret-of-the-state kind of thing. Nexin is just special. He does things nobody else can do."

"Except for El," Nidina interrupted. "She's started some of his crazy stunts. Maybe because they're related? She is a few years younger…"

"Don't get my wrong, El is probably the scariest person I've ever met," Tas said from his back. "But, personality aside, her brother is right up there. His fight with the avatar back when we were fleeing Wirock, and then what he just did at the fort… I can't even imagine being his enemy."

"You wouldn't have to imagine long," Nidina said. "You'd be ash before you even finished the thought."

"Which is why I'm really glad we're on the same side," Tas said.

"Speaking of on our side," Laze said. "This town you're taking us to. It's not the capital, but you're sure it's the people we need to talk to?"

"Definitely," Tas said, sitting up to look Laze in the eye. "Macer and me, well, if we went to the capital, they might still try us for treason and make us into Ashes. Not the same kind Nexin would… er, not exactly… at least, not immediately…"

Laze winced at mention of the armor-clad soldiers of the Pilish army. If what Tas had said was true, they'd be powerful allies in the fight against the Fathom and the Depths, with the armor vastly multiplying the strength of their Sparks. Except, that power didn't come without a cost. The armored troops would be incredibly powerful for a short period of time – years at the most – but the magnified Spark would burn them out. Literally. They'd be reduced to ash, hence the name. And, once they were armored, there was no way to take somebody back out.

All of that was the fate that awaited Tas and Macer for disobeying the army and trying to rescue likewise-charged civilians, if they didn't get the upper ranks and nobles to change their minds. Hopefully, the threat of the Fathom and the Depths would be pretty good motivation to get everybody to work together.

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"Anyway," Tas went on. "Where we're going now, it's got some more open-minded people. They're less likely to put us in front of a firing squad just for walking in."

"We reported directly to the garrison at this town for a while," Macer said. "We know the commanding officers pretty well, and have some favors built up. Should be enough to get us a meeting to explain what's going on."

"And, if it doesn't?" Nidina asked. "What's plan B?"

Tas and Macer shared a look before Tas spoke again. "Honestly? There is no good plan B. There are other towns – other commanders – we can try, but none with the right amount of clout and forward-thinking of who we're going to see. There are other places we can go, but I don't know what kind of difference they would make. Sure, maybe we'd get the fort on our side, for whatever good it did. Each fort can already fight for themselves."

"We need the army to work together," Macer added. "As much as I hate the Ashes, we need them protecting the country instead of hunting people like me and Tas."

"And preventing the Depths from taking more prisoners," Laze said. "It's a miracle they haven't managed to already."

"We'd already moved all the soft targets to fort towns," Tas said. "When those seawyrms started popping up, most of the small villages got relocated."

"We've seen a few fort towns that didn't do so well," Nidina reminded him.

"And we…" Tas pointed between himself and Macer, "… would probably be dead or captured if you two, er… three, didn't show up. I've never seen or heard of a force like that assaulting one of our towns."

"Probably the forces they had over on Wirock," Laze said, looking at Nidina in time for the other woman to nod. "We saw a lot of monsters over there when the avatar got released."

"Speaking of, if that thing shows up, I can't see a fort standing against it," Tas said. "Could Nexin…?"

"He doesn't think he can beat it," Laze said. "Yet. That's what he's here working on – getting stronger."

"Can he? Get stronger, I mean."

"He's Nexin; he can do anything he puts his mind to."

"For what it's worth," Nidina said to the raised yet suspicious eyebrows. "Yes, Laze has a bit of a thing for Nexin – if you hadn't guessed. No, don't you give me that look, you do. Anyway, that aside, she really isn't wrong. If anybody can get to a point they can fight that avatar, it's Nexin. Or maybe Sol, but he didn't strike me as the 'getting stronger' type."

"If anything, he's getting weaker," Laze said quietly. "His goddess has gone back to sleep, or whatever, so I don't think she's giving him the same strength as before."

"Which makes it all the more important we Pilish stick up for ourselves," Macer said.

"Exactly," Laze said, standing up. "Which means it's time to go. We've had enough of a rest."

"Can you carry me instead of her?" Tas asked, then quickly looked at Nidina. "I… mean, I'm obviously heavier than Macer…" he trailed off, looking at his second as if mentally weighing her. Then he hesitated.

"If you even suggest what I think you're about to," Macer said, voice like nightmares creeping across a pillow. "We'll see how much less you weigh with both your legs broken."

"I don't think broken legs will change my weight…" Tas mumbled, then coughed. "As I was saying, since I am much heavier than our petite Miss Macer – the prime specimen of femininity she is – it would only be… fair Nidina didn't have to carry me the whole way."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," Nidina said flatly. "Maybe if you didn't…"

Laze held up a hand for them to stop as she felt the familiar connection of her communication magic unexpectedly kick in.

"Laze, Nidina, can you hear me?" Nexin asked.

"Loud and clear," Laze said. "And if you're contacting us again so soon, it can't be because of good news."

"I'm not sure if the news is good or bad. Macer or Tas handy?" Nexin asked.

"They are. What do I need to ask them?"

"Maybe forty miles from the fort town, up the coast to the north, I think I found a dam or something, can you check if they know what I'm talking about?"

Laze did just that, and Tas leaned his head back to think, then nodded. "It's as much as bridge as a dam, if it's the one I'm thinking of. The one over the Teeth," he said to Macer.

The other woman nodded. "Red stone?"

"Does it look like a bridge made of red stone?" Laze asked Nexin.

"Red stone…? Maybe," he replied. "As for if it was a bridge, I can't say. It's been destroyed. Which is the part I don't understand. If the Depths wanted to go upriver, there's nothing around to stop them from getting out of the water and walking to the other side. Any tactical significance to this?"

"Tas, sounds like the Depths destroyed the bridge – unless it's been that way for a while?" Laze said.

"No," he said with a shake of his head after another second of thought. "Last I heard, it was still fine."

"Definitely not fine now," Laze said. "Any reason you can think of the Depths would destroy it?"

"Fort Crimson," Macer said immediately. "The walls are made of the same stone as the bridge."

"So? Is there something special about the stone?" Laze asked.

"No, but the bridge was the only land route to the fort," Macer said. "Most of the island has an almost impassible coastline as well. None of our ships can dock there. Everything had to go over that bridge."

"So," Laze said, linking in her communication magic so Nexin could hear as well. "By destroying the bridge, the Depths have completely cut off the fort town from any support or reinforcement?"

"And simultaneously destroyed any option for escape," Nidina said.

"I guess I know what their next target is, then," Nexin said. "Thanks. I'm going."

"Be careful," Laze said. "If they went to the trouble to cut off the fort, they're going to hit it hard."

"Not as hard as I'll hit back," Nexin said. And then, just like that he was gone.

"They're after Fort Crimson?" Tas asked.

"Nexin is going to check," Nidina said. "And if they are, he'll put a stop to it."

"Burn it," Tas said. "You know, before we met you all, the seawyrms were a problem, but not like this. Their attacks weren't this… planned. I mean, destroying a bridge to cut the town off? Are they smarter than we're giving them credit for?"

"Those hangnails definitely aren't," Macer said.

"The blue humanoids?" Nidina asked, and Laze only had to consider a second before she nodded.

"Them or the avatar," Laze said. "Maybe both. Either way, now we know we've got to deal with them bringing tactics along with the numbers."

"They were trying to sneak up the back of the last fort when we got there," Nidina reminded Laze.

"All the more reason we need to get the Pilish army organized to deal with this," Laze said. "And get us out there scouting and passing messages. Let's get going." One look at Tas and she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Fine, I'll carry you, just stop giving me that look."