Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 52

Episode 52: Peace

He never wanted to wander again. 

He held her in his arms and hoped for a future filled with peace.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 51

Episode 51: The Search Is Over

After months of searching, she had finally found him. 
She met him halfway and held out her hands. 
His hands were cool and gentle

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 50

Episode 50: This Place

Teresa had come to him, to this place. 

He cooled his flames, let the shape drop, and walked towards her. 

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 49

Episode 49: His Eyes

Teresa stood still, watching. William had wings of fire growing out of his back, but his eyes remained his own. 

He was still her William.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 48

Episode 48: Slowly

After mastering the basics, Master Gryphon decided to allow William to shift. 

William let the flames rise slowly into shape, not even burning his clothes.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 47

Episode 47: What if?

As she approached the mage-training grounds with Pelent and Callisto, Teresa slowed her steps. 

What if William had changed in some way she hadn’t noticed?

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 46

Episode 46: If

Master Gryphon, the only other shifter at the mage-training grounds, made Will relearn everything, even how to breathe. 

It would be worth it, if he could touch her again.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 45

Episode 45: The Call

When she could stand, she went to find him.

He was gone to the secret, mage-training grounds.

She felt the call of the hunt.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 44

Episode 44: Control

William ran to the infirmary at the sound of her voice, but Pelent stopped him at the door.

“Can you truly control it?”

He sighed.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 43

Episode 43: Home

Teresa woke in a haze in her childhood room. 

She shouted for Will, but he didn’t come. 

The healers came instead, with her mother and brother.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 43

Episode 43: Home

Teresa woke in a haze in her childhood room. 
She shouted for Will, but he didn’t come. 
The healers came instead, with her mother and brother

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 42

Episode 42: Healing Flames

Nodding at Pelent, William knelt by Teresa’s side. 

He whispered to the flames around him, yanked out the battle axe, and cauterized Teresa’s wound. 

She fainted.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 41

Episode 41: An Ally

The pain was excruciating, her vision darkened. 

The soldier grinned over her until a spear went through his neck. 

Pelent stood guard over Teresa.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 40

Episode 40: Brutus

Bryant couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. 

As the white heat consumed his air, he caught sight of a burnt figure beyond the flames. 

Brutus came for him.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 39

Episode 39: Another Choice

William heard Teresa’s scream and left his brother to the flames. 

He ran towards her, horrified to see that he might be too late. 

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 38

Episode 38: Trouble

Teresa’s right-hand sword was entangled by one soldier while another brought his battleaxe down. 

She threw up her left sword and it broke in half.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 37

Episode 37: Fire with Fire

Bryant’s rage exploded from his hands, from his pores, until the flames nearly touched the ring of white fire around him.

William’s flames burned brighter.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 36

Episode 36: An Unwanted Choice

William hit his brother again with flames. 

“I didn’t want this, brother. But since you seem intent on destruction, I will take it from you.”

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 35

Episode 35: Battle

Duck, parry, riposte, strike. 

It could have been a drill, except for the screams of her opponents and the slippery ash underfoot. Teresa fought forward.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 34

Episode 34: Brothers at War

“You!” Bryant threw a fireball at William.

William swatted it away with a swath of white fire.

Bryant screamed. “No! The Kingdom is Mine!”

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 33

Episode 33: Phoenix and Man

William surrounded his brother in white flames, then landed outside of them. 

Letting his phoenix shape drop, he covered himself in flames to his chest.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 32

Episode 32: Her Turn

With Bryant down, Teresa turned attended to his soldiers who were attempting to hack down fleeing survivors. 

With her swords in her hands, she attacked.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 31

Episode 31: Rage

Pure rage at the defiance of the phoenix boiled inside Brutus, but when the phoenix’s flames seared his chest, he screamed in unexpected pain.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 30

Episode 30: Defiance

Bryant’s fire burned William when it hit, not like his own. 

He danced in flight around Bryant, screeching in defiance, sending flames from his beak.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 29

Episode 29: A Race

Flames leapt at each other across the sky as Teresa raced toward home. 

She crossed the ruins of warfare and a skeleton of burnt thorns.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 28

Episode 28: Fury

When the white phoenix blazed across the sky above the castle, Bryant’s horse threw him into an ash heap. 

Furious, he let his fire burn uncontrollably.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 27

Episode 27: A Choice

Reaching his fiery core, William felt his anger and his sorrow stoking the flames, but instead he reached for his heart. 

His shape felt light.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 26

Episode 26: To Follow

Teresa went to follow William, but Pelent barred her way.

“It is good for him to fight his brother alone. The madness will be contained.”

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 25

Episode 25: To Finish

Extinguishing his flames because he had so few loyalists left, Bryant barked his orders and went to find his horse. 

He would finish this fight.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 24

Episode 24: Leaving in Darkness

After the painful conversation with Brutus, William decided he would not endanger the others.

As they continued to plan, he left in shadow of darkness.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 23

Episode 23: Help

“Brutus?”

Brutus cowered from William’s flames. “Your brother is mad, my King. He is … lost.”

Teresa offered him a hand. “Help us defeat him.”

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 22

Episode 22: Unwelcome News

His generals interrupted his pleasures with unwelcome news. “You let them escape unharmed?”

“Those earth-shakers created tunnels, my King.”

Bryant scorched the earth.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 21

Episode 21: Something Unexpected

William noticed Pelent stiffen in wariness at the edge of their camp.

 “Someone comes.”

William’s fists burned as he recognized the tattered figure.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 20

Episode 20: A Family Secret

Teresa confronted Rykken. “Why?”

 “You fostered out, fell in love, and mother had tested your power, but wasn’t sure you could keep the secret.”

Teresa scowled.

He laughed.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 19

Episode 19: Bryant Celebrates Early

Celebrating early, Bryant spent some time the lucky few he had taken alive. 

Relishing their fear and pain, he let the fire wall smolder low.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 18

Episode 18: Contingencies

William asked Rykken what to expect at Harthorn.

 “The mage-warriors will try to distract and evacuate.”

William glanced towards Teresa, but she was glaring at Rykken.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 17

Episode 17: Vow

She carried the stone in her pocket and vowed not to let William out of her sight in the coming battle, whether he was man or phoenix.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 16

Episode 16: Wall of Fire

Their special warriors had retreated, even the earth-shakers. 

Bryant set the thorns on fire and they became a wall of fire, scorching the wall of stones.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 15

Episode 15: Remember

William handed Teresa a cool stone from the river. “Remember me.”

As her fingers brushed his, he turned away from her and towards his purpose.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 14

Episode 14: A Moment

Just a day out from the capital, Teresa followed William when he waded into the river.

She just stood with him, listening to rushing water.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 13

Episode 13: The Taste of Victory

Gannetia didn’t have anyone like Bryant. 

Their combined magics weren’t powerful enough to douse his flames. 

He tasted victory in the ashes of his victims.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 12

Episode 12: Sorrow

At the second village, William picked up a half-burnt doll, 

     fell to his knees,

keened in sorrow.

Pelent knelt nearby and laid down her spear.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 11

Episode 11: Apart

Teresa saw his tears, but she remained apart.

Rykken reproached her: “He deserves your compassion.”

She shook her head and stood by Pelent’s side.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 10

Episode 10: A Challenge

Finally, a worthy challenge! 

The Gannetians had powers unlike anything Bryant had ever seen. 

Where had they been hiding and why? 

Teresa hadn’t said anything.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 9

Episode 9: Coals

William wanted to flee, like he had the night his parents died. 

He clenched his fists, thought of cool streams of water, and wept over the coals.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 8

Episode 8: Ashes

Five days from the capital, they came to the outposts of Gannetia. 

Bile rose in Teresa’s throat as she inhaled the stench of ashes.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 7

Episode 7: First Resistance

Outside the capital city of Harthorn, Bryant met his first resistance: 

a wall of thorns beyond the brick exterior and warriors dressed in earth tones.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 6

Episode 6: Could he?

Every time William caught her watching, she frowned.

 Could he ever hold her again? 

The thought sent cool shivers of hope into his fiery core.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 5

Episode 5: Would he?

She watched him during the day and night, but felt sick.

Would he betray them for the fire or the phoenix? 

Would he betray her?

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 4

Episode 4: Burn the Way

Bryant scanned the horizon, sent scouts, but no one had seen the traitor Brutus. 

He continued to burn his way into Gannetia, scarring the land.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 3

Episode 3: Stronger

William slept in coolness, but woke with sweat on his brow. 

Rykken’s training wore him down, but made his power stronger at the same time.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 2

Episode 2: More Ally

With Callisto’s band not far behind them, Pelent’s never-wavering spear, and Rykken’s training, Teresa hoped William would be more ally than threat in the coming battle.

Ashes Burn, Season 7: Bright Fire, Episode 1

Episode 1: Death

Bryant had meant to give Brutus the honorable death he deserved, by sword and not by fire, but Brutus turned traitor and haunted his nightmares.