Chapter 4: Anoka.

WALKING DOWN THE hall in the orphanage, Render glanced around for Anoka’s assigned caregiver, Caron. The female warrior took care of the children who had mersa, and she was supposed to be able to give him an update on his niece’s health.

Render took a left in the long, narrow rock hallway and spotted the large female in the corridor. Caron offered him a sad smile as he approached.

“Warrior Render,” she sighed his name. “Anoka’s fire grows dim. It’s every few hours now.”

“I’ll be here every night,” Render said solemnly. He should be able to honor that commitment. The queen said he would guard the next king of the Dagerstanteens all day, but he would not have to be with the monarch at night. The hours were similar to when he worked as a teacher in the learning temple.

Once Daris was on his ship and safe in his rooms, Render would be free to go about his business. That would leave him all night to feed his flame to Anoka to keep the child alive.

“Warrior Render.” The caregiver regarded him. “I can’t keep this up. The head healer suggests that you let her fire die and give Anoka’s body to the Panchen Fire.”

“Never,” Render spat.

“I do not understand this commitment to a stranger,” Caron said. “Anoka is nothing to you.”

“It’s not for you to understand.”

“If you are trying to make up for your past misdeeds and to get forgiveness from the Lord and Lady of Light, I feel you are misguided here. Mersa does not heal. Anoka will never get better.” The caregiver sounded exasperated, and she threw up her hands. “It is the birth fire rejecting the body. Her fire will go out.”

Render knew this. The healer had explained the illness to him and what mersa was when Anoka first showed symptoms of the disease. For a small number of Albeon children, the birth fire they received from their mother didn’t take to their bodies. Mersa only happened to children, and most of the time, the situation always went the same way.

First, the child would get sick. Their fire would no longer heal them or help them. Then, the fire would grow dim as it hated the containment of the body. Eventually, the light would go from flickering to being extinguished altogether. When the birth fire died, so did the person.

The end.

Blue blazes, Render wouldn’t let that happen to his Anoka. He promised his sister.

They would feed her flame, and he would pray for a miracle. Prayer to the Lord and Lady of Light was all he had—that and a little money.

Render dug into the waistband of his armor and pulled out the small bag of coins the queen had given him. Queen Shay said the marks were earnest money to keep him conscious of his commitment. Rolla said this was a goodwill action to seal their deal.

What the marks were was hush money. The queen said she would pay him handsomely for guarding Daris, but only if the next king didn’t know he was being guarded.

Render had to tell everyone he was teaching Daris about the Panchen Fire.

The coins dropped into his palm, and he held them out to the caregiver. The woman’s smile turned predatory.

“I guess I could keep feeding her my flame for a little longer.”

“Thank you.”

Render didn’t wait for a fake response. He knew where he stood and what the real deal was. He knew where all the children stood as well. This caregiver didn’t care about him or Anoka. The little ones here were forgotten, and whether they lived or died didn’t matter much to anyone.

But Anoka mattered to him. He’d given a fire oath to do all he could for the little girl.

With a push to the door, Render entered the room where the orphanage kept the children who had mersa. There was only Anoka here and a baby with no name. The rest of the children who had mersa were dead now, and it was expected that even this baby would die soon. They didn’t even bother to name the child.

“Ren!” Anoka sat up in bed, but she moved too fast. The little girl started a coughing fit. Ash poured from her eyes, nose, and mouth. As she hacked, soot fluffed and puffed over her little hands.

“Not so much excitement, Ann.” Render hurried to the little girl’s side and sat at the head of the mattress.

The child curled into his arms for a snuggle. The ash and soot from her dying flame were now smeared and scattered over his armor, turning the shiny emblem black.

Anoka controlled her breathing, and Render leaned back to look at his niece. The whites of her eyes were black now. Yes, she was getting worse.

“You’re late.” She pouted.

“I had a meeting with the Queen of Albeon.” Render opened his hand and produced a small flame.

“You did not.” The little girl giggled, and her glare of skepticism reminded him of his sister.

“I did.” Render held out the flame to his niece. “And I met the Fire Elders who guard the Panchen Fire Temple.”

“Really?” Anoka’s eyes turned wide. “Is the palace amazing?”

“I got to meet the queen in her throne room.”

“Is Queen Shay beautiful?”

“Our queen is the most beautiful female I have ever seen.” Render smiled. If he liked female warriors, he would like Queen Shay.

“Did the queen say you’re the strongest warrior in all of Albeon?” Anoka did a wistful sigh and then picked up his small flame in her fingers. “I want to be the strongest warrior in all of Albeon one day.” Anoka popped the flame into her mouth and grinned. “And I want to meet the Fire Elders.”

Render didn’t have the heart to tell the little one that it would be a miracle if she lived to her next birthday. Becoming the strongest warrior in all of Albeon probably would only ever be a dream.

Anoka and he had that in common—they had dreams that would never come true.

“Queen Shay gave me a job.” Render created another tiny flame to flicker in his palm.

“You’re working for the queen?” Anoka squealed and then coughed again. He waited for the coughing fit to lessen. She ate another bite of his fire.

“I will be teaching the next king of the Dagerstanteens. His name is Royal Darislumroma.”

“That’s a dumb name.” Anoka paused. “Is he a prince?”

“Dagerstanteens don’t really have a gender, but yes, Daris is a prince. We can call him that.”

“What will you teach the prince?”

“I will teach Royal Daris basic knowledge about our birth fire, the Panchen Fire, and our history.”

“Boring.” Anoka flopped back on her pillow, and he rose from his spot.

Render chuckled. The truth was Daris would be under the impression that Render was a teacher from the learning temple—and he was a teacher. But the queen didn’t ask any of the older, more knowledgeable instructors from the temple because they didn’t have his fighting skills.

If anything happened to Daris while on Albeon, it could restart the war. The leader of the Dagerstanteens sending his first-born offspring to this planet to learn was an act of peace. All the Fire Elders kept stressing how disastrous it would be if anything happened to the next king.

Render might not like Dagerstanteens much, but he didn’t want another war. He made a fire oath to the queen that he would guard Daris with his life, do whatever the young royal Dagerstanteen wanted, and do his best to keep the alien amused.

Crossing to the sink in the room, Render retrieved a washcloth from the cabinet and soaked the cotton. He returned to Anoka’s side with a cloth and began wiping around her mouth and nose.

“If you teach classes to the next Dagerstanteen ruler, I won’t see you?” Anoka’s little face screwed up into tears as she lifted her eyes to his.

“I’ll be here.” Render caught a teardrop on her cheek. “I will teach the next king in the morning and afternoon,” Render repeated what the queen said. “And in the evening, Royal Daris will meet with the queen to spend time with her.”

“Why would she want to talk with a Dagerstanteen?” Anoka wrinkled her little nose like the idea was stinky.

“Because.” Render didn’t know the answer, but he gave it a shot. “The queen is trying to have a pleasant and peaceful relationship with the Dagerstanteens because she doesn’t want another war.”

Render kept cleaning her face until Anoka’s brown skin was no longer covered in marks. He sighed. Black smoke was even coming out of her ears now.

“I guess.” Anoka shrugged. “No one wants more war. That’s what Caron says.”

“I will be here with you as soon as Royal Daris goes to the palace to be with the queen. Then I will be with you all night like always.”

Render hoped he could take Anoka out of the orphanage when this job finished. With the money he would get for doing this task for the queen, he could hire a caregiver and bring Anoka to his house. If he had the choice, he would want someone more caring than Caron. He would also pay off his debts with Meccan. It would be nice not to see the blacksmith again.

Maybe he could get another place to live—just him and Anoka.

Walking back to the sink, he washed out the rag as his mind spun over a future with money. In the back of his head was the idea that if he did an outstanding job, the queen might hire him to be a part of her personal security detail. His mind conjured the healthy guards that he’d seen in the palace. He would love to be in shiny armor, standing guard, and watchful for royalty. It was a beautiful dream.

And at night, he would have Anoka cared for, safe, and healthy.

The dream had a sigh passing his lips. That would be the new beginning for his life that would make him happy. The only thing missing from the fantasy was Toren.

Render set the cloth aside and turned back to his niece. He began making the bed with clean sheets and then cuddled the child in his arms.

For now, he put aside his hopes and dreams. For the moment, he held Anoka and thanked the Lord and Lady of Light that she wasn’t dead. He fed her another bite of his flame and told her a story. He needed to keep the faith.