Robb's Chapter, Page Thirteen

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“Take my hands,” the Pyre Elder said, “And breathe deep.”

The Elder had earned his title, Robb thought. At least in age. Robb wasn’t sure if the Elder was eighty or ninety, but he looked frail and old. The fire that burned in Crimson was a fluttering candle in this man. Robb was seated across from this skinny creature, both of them cross legged. The Elder’s hands were raised up towards him. Robb took them, and inhaled.

“Hold it within you,” the Pyre Elder said.

Robb did as he was commanded. He closed his eyes, which he figured was as vital a step as he should try to take.

“Open your eyes, son of flame and water,” the Pyre Elder said, “Leave your mind as open as your sight and all of your power will be as you are, and you will be as your power will be.”

Robb opened his eyes slowly. He was still within the room beneath the Grey Center. The walls and floor were all painted red, although the floor was a lighter red than the rest. On the ceiling was a series of chandeliers, all burning bright with red-orange flame.

Robb looked down at the Elder and saw that his eyes were closed. Robb blinked. The Elder began to hum. Low and deep.

Questions raised to the surface of Robb’s mind but he kept them within. Should he start humming along? Why was the Elder’s eyes closed? Should I be feeling anything?

Crimson had left them alone after saying his words. Robb had been allowed one question. He’d used it to ask what was so wrong with a flawed Grey.

And so, after hearing the answer, Robb had hoped that he was not flawed. He wanted nothing more than to be the one to save, not to destroy. Or be destroyed. He trusted these thalasseering pyreweavers, and felt sure that they would keep out the flawed ones well enough.

The humming grew louder. Robb’s lungs began to ache. He fought to keep from breathing out. He felt his face growing warmer.

The Elder’s eyes opened slowly, and Robb saw flames behind each of his eyes, smoke pouring from the eyelids. The Elder’s humming grew louder and the pitch shifted to another note. It sounded happier, somehow.

Robb fought to keep his mouth from opening. His hands were shaking. The Elders’ were firm. Robb kept staring ahead, looking into the flames.

When he blinked, the room vanished.

He saw a great ocean, with fire raging on its surface. Robb thought it looked like an oil spill that had been lit aflame.

A wind pushed out, thunderous in sound and volume, and began setting the fires to rest. The waves of the ocean began to thrash back and forth. Robb saw lizards and snakes climbing out from the water towards him on the beach. Robb did not fear them. They were some of them as small as his hands, and some larger than cars. They moved past him and arrayed themselves behind him. A few were dragons, Robb saw, scaled creatures whose movements implied the falling of glaciers and the explosion of volcanos. The shifting of continents. The might of the sun.

Robb began to be aware of something ahead of him, pushing the air and waves around. Rocks tumbling into the water, sucking it down into portals and vortexes. Soon the wind had extinguished the flames and only the water remained, but it too was draining and draining. Robb turned around to see the lizards and snakes had vanished. Bones and skeletons remained.

But there was a storm there. It was on the horizon. Robb could see the wind and rain, and tornados of swirling flame.

Robb exhaled so violently that he almost collapsed forward into the Elder. But the Elder released his grip and caught him.

“I welcome you into The Children of Water and Fire,” the Elder said, “Thalassic Pyreweaver, Windsinger and Stormcaller.”

Robb looked at his hands and saw lightning there, sparking from his fingertips.

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