Shadows among the vermillion flames dart out of sight. In and out. In. And out. Licking closer and closer, the flames near the peaceful village that stretches out in the horizon, silent and still.
It will all be over tonight. The Fire Empire will finally die amid flames, a fitting end to the blasphemous royalty and the corrupted citizens.
Or so it is planned.
***
Meet Ivan Frundsy, Frundsy with a long '-e' sound, mind you. His mom died a long time ago and his blacksmith father is currently sacrificing himself for him. He's running and scrambling and stumbling and tripping in a sweaty mess of tears, snot, and terror, as he flees the burning town of Pyra.
Blazing pillars of scorching hot fire has enveloped the town, many people have collapsed from the smoke invading their homes, and many more have run for their lives, only to be embraced by a horrible death. You can see writhing corpses of burnt flesh on the ground, the grotesque sight of skin peeling and melting, their sticky tears stinging their eyes and slapped to their cheeks. Riding the waves of heat and peril is the acrid stench of ash and smoke and cooked meat, all jumbled up in a scent that clears your sinus and leaves you gagging on the taste of it in the back of your parched throat and underneath your dry tongue.
Ivan is an orphan now, along with the lucky few who have escaped the fiery clutches that choked the Empire.
Lucky? Their family, possessions, friends, their whole life has been ripped away, and even now they are burning to ashes that will be swept away by the lonely wandering breeze that comes after.
Yes, they are damn lucky.
Even though life at the moment is a bit unpleasant.
***
Meet Aidan, Edna, and Enya. That's one Prince and two Princesses; one responsible, fourteen year old brother; one bossy, ten year old sister; one confused, seven year old sister who doesn't want to leave Darling Penny Dear.
Darling Penny Dear is a doll with black yarn for hair, purple buttons for eyes, and a pink nightgown. She goes on many adventures with her owner, who looks remarkably similar to Penny, and is now pinning her down with accusing violet buttons, feeling very much abandoned. Or so Penny's owner, Enya, seems to believe.
Fortunately, her brother and sister persuade Enya to 'let Penny guard the fort', and off they vanish into a secret passage in their tower. First Aidan's tousled dark head, then Edna's black and frizzy plait, and finally Enya's short inky locks.
Time is of the essence.
***
The Emperor and his Empress, incidentally the parents of Aidan, Edna, and Enya, are stabbed to death during their flight from the castle.
The hand holding the sharp dagger yanks it out from the father first before quickly finishing off the mother. Their unsteady breathing and coughing bounce off the stone walls and are muffled by the richly colored tapestries. Trembling hands that jerk across the cold floor struggle to find the other's, before they abruptly still, a few mile-like centimeters away.
The hooded assassin laughs, flicking the hand which held the bloody dagger towards the nearest wall. Thick crimson splatters the roughly-hewn rock, shining like a testament of the murderous deed that had just occurred.
And the murderer smirks, spinning on their heel to find the remaining soon-to-be victims of their blade.
But perhaps there will only be one more victim tonight.
***
A rush of footsteps storm past and come to a stop in the forest clearing.
A stable is built in the forest, which is located around the perimeter of the castle, for emergencies such as this. All of the Imperial line is informed of this stable on their tenth birthday.
Speaking of whom, Aidan looks panicked and his breathing is erratic; his sisters are no better off. Edna is hunched over with her hands on her knees, while Enya is jumpy and keeps peering about anxiously, as if expecting for something or someone to jump out at them.
She isn't far off the mark, unfortunately.
Just as Aidan mounts a dappled grey horse named Pimo, Edna helps Enya to clamber on in front of him.
But when she goes to heave herself up behind Aidan, a sinister chuckle echoes around the clearing.
The hooded assassin that killed their parents in cold blood stands before them, but Aidan, Edna, and Enya are unaware of this. All they do know is that there is a cold empty look in the stranger's eyes, causing the hairs on the back of Aidan's neck to stand on end, a sickening lurch in Edna's stomach, and Enya's eyes to widen in fear.
Aidan murmurs softly, "Edna. Stay calm. Get on." Silently, he clutches the dagger concealed at his side.
To this, however, it isn't Edna who responds, but the assassin themself.
With a twirl of their wrist, the dagger that was previously stained with blood is suddenly in their grasp and aimed at them.
Their voice speaks quietly, but it has an immediate effect. The forest is utterly still and devoid of life, and the children unconsciously hold their breath.
"The Fire Empire has fallen, and so shall the Emperor and his family..." they trail off ominously.
Edna, who is standing stock still, suddenly leaps into action. She hits Pimo in the side, causing Pimo to rear onto its hind legs and whinny in fear before racing away. A stunned Aidan and Enya soon disappear from the clearing.
An angry but heartwrenching yell from Aidan resounds behind them.
"EDNAAAAAA! YOU, YOU STUPID IDIOT! STOP, PIMO! GO BACK. GO BACK!!! WE HAVE TO GET EDNA!"
But Pimo doesn't listen. The thundering beats of Pimo's galloping slowly fade away, along with Aidan's vehement protests, and silence rings once more in the clearing.
The assassin's face twists into an ugly look of fury, their left eye twitching as they gaze at Edna like a predator.
Edna is shivering violently as her eyes stare at the ground, wide with fear and surprise at what she had done.
But in the next second, Edna is bleeding to death on the scarlet-painted grass, a dagger buried deep in her chest.
Her right hand raises up shakily, probing for the handle, but she only manages to brush the tips of her fingers against it before she shudders and moves no more.
The knife slides out with a soft squelch and is wiped on clean grass before being sheathed. The assassin glowers darkly at the bloody corpse, before slipping away into the trees.
***
The shadows melt and twist and swallow the flames, leaving ashes and corpses and ruins in its wake.
The palace stands in the distance, a grave monument to the massacre of hundreds and the murder of the Imperial family.
It is a night remembered by survivors, passed by word of mouth, and relived in nightmares.
It will never be the same again. Innocence and purity, charred by corruption and malicious intent. Yin and yang. Nobles and peasants. Heaven and hell.
Many famous comparisons are used to describe that fateful night. But finally, a name arises that is unofficially announced official.
It is the Burning.
YOU ARE READING
The Flamer
Fantasy"When dark winds blow across the land, And when evil tries to make a stand, Flames will guide the weary way, To all who have gone astray." ~ A wish made through an ancient magic curses the children it grants with a prophecy of a war betwee...
