Chapter 47

Baz only takes them a few metres into the forest.

Out of breath, panting, Kit is barely able to form words. "Baz…" Wheeze. "What…" Wheeze. "You…" Wheeze. "Insane…"

Baz simply pulls him behind a tree and pins his back to it. "Shhh." He covers Kit's mouth with one hand and brings their faces close together. "Listen," he whispers in a barely audible volume, "you have to be very quiet. I know you think I'm crazy, but this is very important. Kit, do you know what type of demon that is?" Kit shakes his head wordlessly. He didn't even know there were types of demons. "Ice! That's an ice demon–"

Kit pries away Baz's hand. "How do you even know that?"

"A while back, I went snooping through some of Fluorite's things. Turns out there is a lot we didn't know about demons all this time. But what stood out to me the most, was the fact that there are different classes, different types. The Bureau wanted Fluorite to find out as soon as possible what type this one was, so they even sent over confidential records they keep locked up who knows where. But I wasn't able to figure out what it was until back there. All this time, it hadn't shown its true nature, so it would have been almost impossible to tell. But when it was about to attack you– You felt it, right? The coldness? That's when I knew; it must have an affinity to ice!" Baz whisper-shouts. "But you know what else I found out? Ice is weak to fire. Of course, my fire wouldn't be able to do shit against such a powerful ice demon, but here, in the forest–"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're right. There's no time for long explanations. But I promise I'll tell you everything if we get out of this alive. Just trust me, will you?"

"No, Baz, you– You can't just do this! You can't–" 'Why did you save me?' he wants to ask. I told you to get lost, so why did you come? After everything I said, why would you still– How can you just ignore all of that? You're supposed to hate me too!

"You're still hung up on that…" Like always, Baz seems to have read his thoughts. "Don't worry about that now." He offers Kit a shaky smile. "Like I said, I'll explain everything once we get out of this."

"Baz… Damnit, you…" Kit lets out a disbelieving laugh. "Why are you acting so cool all of a sudden?"

"Acting cool? What are you talking about? I'm pissing my pants over here!"

Kit can't help but burst out laughing. That is definitely Baz talking. Without realising it, he's managed to put him at ease.

"Ah, it should almost be here right now. He's probably already put out my fire a long time ago…" He grabs Kit's arm again and starts pulling him farther in. When they reach an old looking tree with a wide enough trunk, Baz pulls them to hide behind it, crouching down. "Kit, I'm gonna need you to be alert. You have to sense it approaching. When it's near, I'll let the fire lose and you run, you hear me? Just run away."

What is he saying? Is Baz… Is he telling Kit to leave him behind? "Baz, you…"

"Kit, just trust me, okay?"

"But you– You can't expect me to be fine with this plan!"

"Kit…" Baz sighs. "You said it yourself, no? I'm a coward. I've been one my whole life." He grimaces, "I know, I know. It's not something to be proud of, but it's the truth. But you know… Back there, when I thought you were about to die… It was like something came over me. My body just moved on its own and before I knew it, I had already jumped in. Never in my life would I have thought I could do something like that. But the thought of you dying…" Baz covers his eyes with his hand, "it was more than I could bear."

The sound of his heartbeat fills his ears. He's sure Baz can hear it too from how loud it is.

Baz bows his head. "Ah, what am I saying? I'm messing up everything again, no? I guess, what I wanted to say is…" Without warning, Baz uncovers his face and looks at him directly, "I don't want you to die. So, just for this once, let me be the one to save you, alright?"

Kit finds that no words come to him. He just stares back at Baz dumbly, wide-eyed, not even able to nod or shake his head.

No, he's got it all wrong, Kit wants to tell him, but no sound will come out. It's not him the one who has been helping out Baz all this time. It's the other way around. Baz… He's the one who's always been there for Kit. He wants to tell him, this and so much more, but—

"It's here." Baz stands up. "Go." He gives Kit a shove, but he won't budge. "Go, now!"

Yes, the demon is definitely here. He can feel it in the air, the way it has turned stale and cold making it hard to breathe. But still, Kit can't move. He can see Baz mouthing something at him, but the sounds don't reach his ears.

Suddenly, he's flung backwards and a white flash of light explodes before his vision. He lands against something hard. His ears are ringing, his vision is blurry. It's hot. Extremely hot. The smell of smoke clogs his nose and tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

His memories of the moment right after that have turned blurry. He remembers his vision finally clearing, and when he looks around, the forest is burning.

Like scenes out of a dream, he remembers looking around, but everywhere he sees there is fire.

The forest… Is it all burning?

So this was Baz's plan, he thinks vaguely. This is why he had come to the forest. The more fuel there was, the brighter the fire would burn. And the trees in the forest, they're not any ordinary trees; they contain magic of their own which would also strengthen Baz's power.

But there is no sight of Baz anywhere.

Frantically, on his hands and knees, Kit crawls his way forward. He can only think about one thing: to find Baz.

Where the fire is hottest, that's where Baz should be.

He casts a simple protection spell. This should be enough so he isn't calcined by the fire.

As he goes further in, the flames turn from red to yellow to white.

It's hot. Too hot.

Kit starts coughing. The acrid smell burns his lungs. He's suffocating.

But he has to get to Baz.

More… Just a bit more…

Finally, he reaches where the flames are hottest. There is a large clearing, a ring of fire surrounding it. The intensity of the explosion must have left nothing but ashes, the trees and all the vegetation consumed by it. And there, in the centre of the blazing inferno are Baz and Xenon.

At first glance, it doesn't look like Xenon is affected by the fire, but upon closer inspection, his movements look sluggish and his forehead is beaded with sweat.

"Damn you… You bothersome pest!" Xenon speaks through gritted teeth. He holds his head with one hand, and there's a vein bulging on his temple. He must be feeling the heat more than he lets on.

But Baz doesn't seem to be in much better shape. There's also sweat covering his forehead and he looks unsteady on his feet. Having released so much magical energy must have taken it out of him, and to keep such a strong fire going must be requiring double the effort.

"Why can't you just stop causing trouble and die already!"

"Same goes to you," Baz gives a sardonic smile.

"You worthless human!" Suddenly, the evil energy around Xenon flares up. His eyes glow red and he bares his fangs. "I'll kill you!"

Before either of them can react, Xenon lunges forward, heading directly at Baz.

But the fire has weakened him, and he's slower than he would have been normally.

Baz sees him coming split seconds before, and he tries to dodge to the side. But he, too, is exhausted. His feet stagger, and he isn't able to avoid the attack completely.

The seconds trickle by at an agonisingly slow pace.

As if in slow motion, Kit watches, horrified, as the demon's claws pierce through Baz's abdomen. The skin gives way easily, and immediately, there's a growing spot of red spreading across the lower part of his torso and dripping down on the burnt forest floor.

For what seems like an eternity, they stay in the same position.

Any minute now, the demon will pull out and he will see Baz's body crumple to the floor.

A second goes by.

Another.

And another.

The moment never comes.

"Shit," Baz huffs out a dry laugh which turns into a cough, "I really must have terrible luck…" There's a trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth.

The demon narrows his eyes. "You–"

"I wasn't actually planning on dying here today, you know. Always thought I would get to live a long, nice life…" He coughs again and more blood trickles out of his mouth. "But–" Suddenly he grabs the demon's arm from where it's sticking out of his stomach, "If I'm really dying today," he grins, "might as well take you down with me!" From his hands, a sudden blue flame bursts out and starts spreading rapidly from the place where they are connected.

Xenon's eyes widen for a mere second, and then the flames envelop both figures completely. The fire in the forest suddenly grows hotter too, and despite the spell Kit had cast on himself, he feels his skin starting to burn.

The blue flames grow taller and taller, they glow so bright Kit has to avert his eyes for fear of being blinded.

Baz… Since when has he been capable of this?

At the same time when the flames reach their climax, there is a loud booming sound that echoes all around the forest. Kit's eardrums threaten to burst and there's a small stream of blood that comes out of his ears and nose. This release of magical energy, this amount, it's impossible… It's so much it's even making Kit's body overload.

Just as he thinks he's going to be burnt alive, the flames recede all at once. Like being sucked in by a whirlpool, they all go towards the blue fire. And then, one final, grand explosion.

The blast wave carries Kit several metres back, his skin searing from the steam it has produced. For several seconds, the waves of heat and vapour roll over him, and he can do nothing but curl into himself.

When it's over, the radius of the clearing has increased by at least ten times. Around him, the trees that were not burnt away have been upturned. It's a miracle how Kit managed not to get crushed by one of them.

The skin all over his body feels raw, tender, as if the smallest rough action could have it peeling off. But Kit can barely feel it. He tries to stand up, but his legs are too weak and he falls down. In the very back of his mind, he registers his palms scraping, the blood smearing across them and pooling between his fingers. He tries standing again, but it's no use. His body won't cooperate.

So he starts crawling forward. He's bleeding, the skin is peeling off. He's dimly aware of the fact that there is something wrong with his body. His throat is dry, parched. His eyes feel red, and his nose is still bleeding, his ears are still ringing. But he doesn't care. It doesn't matter. He has to get to Baz.

Baz—

He has to be alive, Kit tells himself. He has to. He promised, no? That he would explain, he promised, no? So he can't be dead.

Yes, he's a coward, irresponsible, lazy, and… There are so many bad things Kit could say about him, but he has never lied to Kit. He would never lie…

And that's the problem, no? He would never lie, so everything… It was all true. It was all true and Kit was such an idiot, too blinded by his own feelings to see the truth. And he… Why did he have to say all of that? Why did he have to punch Baz? Why?

And if Baz truly is— No, Kit won't allow his mind to go there.

But if he really is, then Kit… Kit would be left with nothing but his guilt, never able to say he's sorry.

Ah, he wants to scream! Wants to cry and scream and punch something, but his body is not working; no tears will come out and his throat won't produce any sound, so he can only keep crawling forward.

Finally, finally, he approaches the place where Baz had been.

He's too scared of what he will find, his body trembling uncontrollably, but he doesn't stop.

A miracle; it's a miracle! Kit feels his head going dizzy with relief. Baz… he's still there. His body, it's still there.

He feels a sudden burst of adrenaline coursing through his body, and for a few brief seconds, his legs are strong enough to partially support him. He runs, tripping and stumbling, to where Baz's body lays.

He all but crumples to the ground next to his body. He reaches out a hand to touch him, but he's burning, scorching to the touch. He's still alive. Kit can feel the magical energy thrumming just beneath his skin, how there's still fire inside his body.

But it's disappearing too quickly.

There's still a hole in his abdomen. It's not that big, but the blood is seeping out in gushes. It's too much blood.

Kit brings his hands to the wound, presses down on it in a futile attempt to staunch the flow. It's no good. The blood keeps gushing out through his fingers, like trying to hold back a river with his bare hands.

Baz. Baz!

He wants to call out to him, but he can't. Only a hoarse cry will come out.

His skin… It's turning cold. Kit can feel the life bleeding out of him.

Baz, you can't leave… he thinks desperately. You can't– You said you couldn't bear the thought of seeing me die, but what about me? What am I going to do if you leave me? So you can't die! Baz, don't die… Don't die, please…

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he perceives a movement.

Startled, he turns to face in the direction of it. There, so far away he's almost indistinguishable, is Xenon. He's holding his side as if he were wounded, and when he walks, his gait seems uneven.

Their eyes meet; Kit's heart starts pounding in his chest and he holds his breath. But Xenon doesn't do anything. They hold each other's gaze for a few seconds before he turns away from Kit and limps away, disappearing into the Forest of Mist.

That is the last thing Kit sees before he passes out.