Chapter 7

Hall of Flames, Brimstone

Spike felt incredibly refreshed after he bathed and got some food in his belly. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt so relaxed and rejuvenated. As he would later find out, Winter was actually a pretty damn good cook. She bounced around the kitchen like a happy little rabbit and ended up making roasted chicken and spiced veggies. It amazed him how much energy she had left, considering what they had been doing earlier.

The food was absolutely delicious. The young man drooled a little bit, knowing full well that he would be enjoying a vast array of Winter’s home-cooked meals for the foreseeable future. It was her job to meet his needs. She was supposed to be his attendant, after all. Even so, he always asked her politely to do anything for him. He considered her more of a friend than a servant and tried his level best not to take advantage of her position.

After they finished their lunch, the two of them stopped by the tailor’s stall and requested to purchase a lizard plush. The bizarre thing about it was that he happened to have quite a few already premade. When asked, he simply stated: “People seem to like what the princess likes. Who am I to question that?”

Spike did have to admit that they were cute. Although for the life of him, he had no idea what kind of lizard it was. They were probably something native to the Ebonwood Forest. He wasn’t quite so sure that he wanted to run into an actual one despite its adorableness. Given the colorful splotched pattern on its hide, it was a strong indication that the reptile was poisonous.

When they finally reached the Hall of Flames, it was practically empty save for a few attendants performing various cleaning duties. The head attendant, Onyx, stood by the throne and bowed to Spike politely with a cheerful smile on her lips. Spike returned her bow with a flourish of his own.

She was a relatively short woman, but what she lacked in height was more than made up for in sheer muscle mass. If Spike had met her in Equestria, he would have easily mistook her for a bodybuilder. Like all Wyvertii she possessed bronze skin, but what made the woman stand out was her lustrous black hair and piercing grey eyes. She had even pulled her hair into practical braided bun.

“Is there something you need, Master Spike?” Onyx inquired.

“Well, not exactly something but more like someone. Do you happen to know where Ember is by any chance?”

Onyx nodded. “The reason Mistress Ember is not present is because she is training with Lord Torch. The last I saw them; they were sparring in the courtyard behind the hall.”

“Thanks, we’ll be on our way then.”

“You’re quite welcome, Master Spike. Should you require any further assistance, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Once they were far enough away, Spike allowed himself another glance at Onyx while she was arranging the cushions on the throne. Why did an attendant need to be so freaking muscular? Well…not that he really minded of course, but it was more out of curiosity. Noticing the confused look on his face, Winter pressed herself closer so she could whisper into his ear.

“She’s not just an attendant, you know. Onyx is an expert in hand to hand combat and wrestling. She regularly spars with Mistress Ember and serves as one of Lord Torch’s elite bodyguards.”

Spike eyes widened. “Seriously?! I’m glad I was so polite with her.”

“You’re such a gentleman, Master Spike~ I realize she looks very intimidating but she is, without a doubt, one of the kindest and sweetest women I’ve had the pleasure to call a friend. But you’d better not piss her off or she’ll turn you into a pretzel.”

“Errr…right. I wasn’t planning on it.”

Winter grinned. “Excellent! We need to exercise some caution upon entering the courtyard. Lord Torch and Mistress Ember are both highly skilled, but they tend to forget how powerful they are. Be aware of your surroundings, they occasionally…break things.”

“I promise I’ll be careful. But how bad could it be?”

When Spike finally witnessed father and daughter sparring, he felt his balls try to shrink back into his stomach. Not that his stomach felt much better either. It was insane! The two of them fought each other like they were in some high budget action movie, except this was very much real. Torch didn’t seem to look any different than he was when Spike first met him, expect for the sweat glistening off of his torso and the predatory glint in his eyes.

Ember, however, was in pretty bad shape. Her hair was matted down from all the sweat and her entire body was covered in a combination of scrapes, scratches, and even a few bruises. Unlike her father, she had an angry, almost feral expression on her face. She gripped the wooden staff in her hands and charged at her father without uttering a sound.

The moment she tried to strike Torch, her blow was intercepted by his muscled forearm. Spike winced when he heard a cracking noise, but was surprised to notice that is was not the man’s bone that snapped…but the staff.

With incredible speed that a man his size shouldn’t possess, Torch jammed his other elbow into Ember’s diaphragm, sending the scrappy princess skidding across the grass. She moaned in pain and lay prone on the ground for a few moments, until she stood up once more. Spike could tell it was taking her everything she had just to do that because she trembled like a leaf in a windstorm.

Torch shook his head. “Enough, daughter! You are too injured to continue. Go back inside and have the healers tend to your wounds. We are done training for the day.”

“I can…keep…going. One m-more…round.”

Torch stomped his foot. “I SAID ENOUGH! You are allowing your anger and frustration to cloud your judgement. If we continue any further, you will bring permanent harm to your body. As your trainer—no—as your father, I would never be able to forgive myself if I maimed you.”

Ember, cowed by her father’s words, slumped to the ground and held her knees to her chest. She tried not to cry, her stubborn pride was too great to allow herself to do so. But the dam broke anyway, despite her efforts to hold back. Hot tears fell onto the grass beneath her as Torch walked away. Spike felt a pang of guilt hit his chest like a wrecking ball while he witnessed Ember quietly sobbing against the tree.

Torch patted Spike on the shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to see that, lad. I don’t enjoy directing my wrath towards my own daughter, but sometimes it is necessary to protect her.”

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. It’s my fault she ended up that way…”

Torch rubbed his chin. “Perhaps a small portion of the blame belongs on your shoulders. But Ember is also acting like a petulant child about the whole incident. She has the right to be upset with your actions, but I taught her better than to strike someone in anger. I believe apologies are owed to both parties in that regard.”

“That’s why I’m here, sir.”

“Good. Ember is…not very good at dealing with her emotions. I imagine you have already figured this out. So, please be patient with her. She also isn’t used to having a man interested in her as a woman.”

Spike’s mouth immediately became dry. “You—umm—know about that?”

“She confides many things to me. I am aware of what happened during your training. No, I’m not upset. It actually makes me happy that she finally met a man who sees her that way. Although, you should consider practicing greater control over your urges around women.”

Spike rubbed his neck. “I’m trying my best to cope with it. But I’m just not used to seeing women casually walk around naked all the time. It…can get really distracting.”

“An Outlander sentiment, but understandable nonetheless. That is one of the many reasons I summoned you here so early. Don’t worry; our nudity will become as mundane to you as breathing, given enough time.”

“When you said she wasn’t used to being seen as a woman, what did you mean?”

Torch sighed. “She has always been tomboyish, even as a child. Always more interested in fighting and hunting than boys and gossip. For many years she—lacked the feminine curves most girls had at her age. I never witnessed it firsthand, but I think she was mercilessly teased about it. She got into so many fights. It progressed to the point where she pushed herself to become so strong that no one would meddle with her anymore.

“Her body finally started to mature by the time she reached sixteen. And by Delmira did it happen quickly! Before I knew it, she was no longer just my daughter but a fully grown woman. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. Wyvertii men have little interest in courting an obdurate woman who can effortlessly best them in a contest of strength.”

Spike frowned. “I-I had no idea she went through so much. It’s no wonder she got so upset.”

“You couldn’t have known, lad. The type of companionship you can offer her isn’t something a father can give. It will be difficult, but I beg you to stand by her side. I just want to see my little girl find the happiness she deserves. Can I entrust this task to you, Spike?”

“You can count on me, sir!”

Torch chuckled. “That’s what I like to hear. I must return to the throne room to discuss important matters concerning the logistics of the Gauntlet of Fire with some of the town leaders. All very boring, but entirely necessary work to finish. I’m sure you understand.”

Spike carefully approached the wretched ball of pain and anger that was Princess Ember. In the short time that he had conversed with Torch, she seemed to have calmed down enough to the point that she was no longer crying but still had her legs tightly pressed to her chest. Winter Silk felt it was wise to give the two of them some space, so she patiently waited near the entrance to the Hall of Flames until they were ready to leave.

Spike sat in the grass next to Ember. “I’m really sorry about what happened earlier. You were just trying to help me train and I got distracted by your…body when I should have taken your feelings into consideration. I can’t promise that I won’t stop looking, but I will try to keep my urges under control, ok?”

Ember didn’t reply verbally. The only noises that came from her were a snuffle, hiccup, and the sound of her toes wiggling in the grass. Her lack of response didn’t exactly give Spike a whole lot of confidence that his apology was working at all. He decided to play his trump card and give her the stuffed lizard. With bated breath, he gently placed it next to her leg and hoped it would cheer her up.

It was quiet but he heard her giggle. She carefully picked up the plush and hugged it to her chest. Ember still didn’t say anything, but she did finally lift her head up. Her eyes were clearly puffy and red, her hair was a mess, but Spike didn’t care. It was progress. She finally broke the silence by clearing her throat.

“I suppose I have no choice but to accept your apology. But only because you were considerate enough to get me a stuffed lizard as compensation for my humiliation.”

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. “Winter Silk gave me the idea. I guess I owe her big time, huh?”

“She loves having sex, so just give her a good fuck and she’ll be set. Since you’re so horny all the time, it’d be a win-win situation for the both of you.”

Spike nearly choked on his own spit. “I-I’ll uhhh…keep that in mind.”

“Even though your lecherous thoughts got you into this predicament, you’re still seriously entertaining the idea? You’re such an idiot…”

Spike spied a particularly nasty cut near her shoulder. “Are you ok? I mean, I’m not a doctor or anything…but some of those cuts look like they hurt.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle. I just pushed myself a little too hard.”

“You call that a little too hard?! It looks like you fell off of a cliff!”

Ember bared her teeth. “I SAID I CAN HANDLE IT!”

“If you say so. Let’s get you to the healers, and then we can decide what to do from there.”

The young woman merely grunted her assent. As she was attempting to get up, Spike noticed that she was still shaking quite badly. It didn’t give too much credence to her earlier statement. Knowing full well he’d regret it later, Spike decided to carry Ember so that she wouldn’t further injure herself just to satisfy her stubborn pride.

He did so as gently as he could but she still yelped in surprise even though he had a firm grip on her. She wasn’t quite as light as he was expecting but it had more to with the fact that she a lot of muscle weight rather than fat. Plus, he wasn’t exactly in great shape himself.

Much to Ember’s embarrassment, the most stable way to carry her was princess style. Surprisingly enough, she did not resist once she got over her initial shock. Whether or not this was because she was too tired or simply enjoyed being treated like an actual princess would remain a mystery for the rest of time. She nestled her head against Spike’s chest and listened to his heartbeat.

“You’d better not tell a soul I let you do this.”

“Sorry, I didn’t want you to aggravate your injuries. Your secret is safe with me, princess.”

Ember felt like her whole body erupted in a blush. “I-I guess it can be nice to c-carried around sometimes. And you smell really nice too. So…thanks.”

Spike ended up having to carry her the whole way to the infirmary. With the amount of blushing Ember did along on the way, he was surprised that she didn’t pass out from all the blood rushing to her head. As soon as he laid her on one of the beds, she buried herself under the sheets in an attempt to hide from the outside world. Spike wanted to feel bad for her but she was just too cute when she was embarrassed. Instead, he settled for having his heart melted…several times.

“I’m sorry for punching you earlier. You didn’t deserve that no matter what happened. Father is always telling me that I need to control my temper, but it’s really difficult sometimes.”

Spike gently rubbed her back. “I’ve already forgiven you. But jeez you hit like a championship boxer! I’m going to have a black eye for weeks.”

“That’s because I train all the time, you idiot! Could you at least try to be sound grateful without all the sarcastic quips? I’m not very good at apologies…s-so you should consider yourself lucky that I’m even making the effort!”

“Ok, I’ll lay off the sarcasm. Do you want any water or—”

Ember slid her hand out of the sheets grasped Spike’s hand. “No…just stay here for a bit. The stuffed lizard is nice and soft, by the way. It’s good for snuggling.”

Spike was too surprised to really come up with a response. He chose to simply hum in agreement. For as strong as Ember could be, she had the capacity to be gentle when she chose. Her grip was firm but not too tight. She rubbed her fingers against the back of Spike’s palm in a comforting manner that was completely at odds with her tough-girl personality. Even though it was in baby steps, the young man realized that she was slowly coming out of her shell.

The two of them continued like that for a little while until a healer stopped by. Spike turned his head towards the door when he heard the distinct sound of bare feet padding against a flat surface. He was even more surprised at who stood before him. It was Onyx! Even though Winter told him she was kind and sweet, the muscled woman didn’t really fit the specs of a nurse.

Onyx averted her eyes. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I’m just here to tend to Mistress Ember’s wounds. I can come back later if you two want some privacy…”

“Oh—errr—it isn’t like that! I was just keeping Ember company for a while. Go ahead and do your thing.”

Onyx bowed and made her way over to the bed. With a single deft motion, she pulled back the covers and inspected Ember’s body. The woman frowned and gave Ember the sort of look that a mother would give to their child for roughhousing too much even though they were told not to. Ember apparently caught onto it because she blushed and grinned sheepishly.

“Mistress, I hope you understand that pushing your body too hard isn’t good for your health. Healing magic will cure your wounds, but you mustn’t rely on it too much. If used too often, it can cause the body to become dependent on it.”

Ember bit her lip. “I’ll try to be more careful for now on. Thanks, Onyx.”

Then something amazing happened that Spike had never seen in his entire life. Onyx shot sooty black flames out of her palms that began to engulf Ember’s body, but they didn’t burn her or anything else. It was shocking and fascinating to watch at the same time. Slowly, her wounds began to close and fade and before he knew it, Ember’s skin was back to the way it was before.

Spike’s jaw dropped. “How is that even possible?!”

“Ah, I take it you’ve never seen the healing arts? It is an incredibly difficult school of magic to master, but it is highly sought after. I’ve been practicing it for the past four centuries, mostly because I am also skilled in combat and saw a need to heal those with grievous injuries.”

“Is it possible for me to learn it too?”

Onyx rubbed her chin. “I could teach it to you, but I’m afraid only those with a large magic reservoir can truly utilize it. I’ll tell you what; I shall help spar with you and Mistress Ember. That way you can have more than one perspective and gain healing techniques too.”

Ember began to rise from the bed until Onyx effortlessly pushed her back down with one hand. The muscular healer kept her hand on Ember’s chest while she tried to resist but found that she was still too weak to get anywhere. When she finally settled down, Onyx shot the young princess a withering glare that demanded obedience.

“You aren’t going anywhere, Mistress Ember. Rest is essential, even if healing magic has sped up your recovery. My suggestion is to take a long, hot bath to sooth your muscles and…rid your body of the odor of sweat.”

Ember sniffed herself and blushed. “By Delmira I stink! DAMN IT SPIKE WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING!?”

“Well, I was more worried about you recovering from all your injuries. I just figured we could take care of the whole bathing thing later…”

Onyx narrowed her eyes. “Calm yourself, Mistress Ember. Master Spike is correct. I know you like to keep your body clean and pleasant smelling, like all of us do. But…healing always takes priority. I am due for my mid-afternoon bath anyway, so I shall accompany you there. Master Spike, you may join us too if you wish.”

Spike idly wondered why the Wyvertii were so obsessed with bathing. Not that he was complaining. He always thought that people who lived in quasi-primitive conditions tended to throw keeping clean completely out the window. He shrugged and just went along with it. The bath waters were always kept at that sweet temperature that wasn’t too hot or lukewarm. Plus, he got to hang out with a bunch of naked women. That was always a plus.