The GrUvia Mission

Part 4: Flashback

"Why are you doing this? The villagers nearby are suffering with all this heat!!" Gray shouted.

"That village you speak of was my birthplace. Doran Village was my home. Until the blasted merchants I met made a contract with me. I was fooled. And now I'm stuck, cursed in this hideous body," he paused and looked at his hands.

"I used to be called Eaven Endive." He looked up. "But now I'm no more!! I'm now THE FIRE MAN!!!" He laughed maniacally.

What a lame name, Gray thought. Juvia grimaced.

"I was a circus performer," Eaven continued. "It was 5 years ago. I played with fire around me, spinning them on sticks. Playing tricks. Many loved me. I was one of the most famous circus performer in the village,"

Images of Eaven's past suddenly appeared in their minds.

"Ay, Eaven. Ye got quite famous over 'ere eh? I envy ye," A bearded man sat next to him. They were in a bar. Eaven was drinking his beer. He had crimson red hair, shaped like a wild fire on a candle. He looked quite young, surprisingly. The drunk Eaven slammed his beer down.

"Aww shucks, Glade. I just started this job a few months ago. Still got a long way to improve!!" he replied.

"Eh, ye got that right. Say, why don't ye stop drinking tha' booze for a while. Ye look kinda sick aight now," Glade patted his shoulder. "I've go' good news by the way," he looked around. "Come with me," he got up. Eaven followed dizzily.


They stopped in a warehouse.

"Why are we here?" The warehouse was quite empty. His voice echoed in the large room.
"No ones 'ere? Good," Glade looked around and nodded to himself.

"What's going on?" Eaven turned to him.
"Good's goin' on, son," he winked. There was a sign of fear, the way Glade moved. A door opened behind them and two men appeared.

"Meet Jade and Jyder," he introduced. The two men waved at him in unison. Jade had soft brown hair, long enough to touch his shoulders. Jyder had short green hair. He looked much older and buffer than Jade, who seemed to be at his 30's and was wearing glasses, and there was a sign of hair loss on Jyder's forehead.

"Ah, this is wonderful!! I'm glad I could finally see you!" Jade approached him. Eaven shook hands with them shyly.
"So what is this good news I heard of?" he crossed his arms and smirked.
"We'd like to make a deal with you," Jyder spoke.

Eaven thought for a moment. This better be good.
"Glade, you sure this is--" Glade was gone. Eaven didn't notice he left. He looked around. "H-hey, where did he go?"
"He prefers to let us have our discussion privately, I assume," Jade answered.
"I...see," Eaven frowned. Glade had always been with him since he was little. He was like his own dad ever since his parents left him.

"Anyways, the deal we want to make with you is quite important," Jade took out a piece of paper from his messenger bag. "All you have to do is sign this contract," he handed it over to Eaven. The circus boy took it and slowly read the contents.

"So if I quit my job, you'd promise me wealth and fame? that sounds too good to be true," he frowned.
"Not just that, my good man. Look at this," Jade pointed at a sentence. "You should be aware of wizards in this world right? But I don't think there's any in this village, for all I know,"

Eaven had heard of wizards before, but he had never seen one with his own eyes. He read the sentence. It said "A great power will be granted in return,"
"What is this great power?" he looked at them. Their eyes were red. At some point they looked like demons, but he blinked away that thought.

"Eternal power," Jyder smirked and stepped closer. "You have a great potential, son. That's why we chose you. And with this, you'll be invincible," he emphasized on the 'invincible' and put a hand on the circus boy's shoulder. "So, do you accept?"

Eaven stared at the contract. Eternal power. No one would be able to stop him. No one would dare to compete with him. He'd be the best and admired by everyone including the circus performers. This contract could change his whole life, but he might as well take that risk.

"Deal," he took out a pen from his pocket and signed.
"A very wise choice, young man," the two said in unison. Their voices were distorted.
"What the--!!" he stepped back. The contract in his hand disappeared. He looked at his empty hands. Then he looked up. Jade and Jyder were no longer there. Instead, two distorted beings appeared. Their faces melted and they looked like magma. The room was filled with light as the bright flames danced around their bodies. The air suddenly felt hot and he started sweating madly.

"Wh-what are you people??!!" he fell backwards.
"Darkness shall overcome the weak-hearted," was all they said. Eaven looked at his hands. He, too, was melting. His skin burned and his flesh was exposed. He screamed in pain.

"UAAARRRGHHHH!!!!!!" he covered his face in agony. Eaven's body was burning. His internal organs felt like they were about to burst.
"WE MADE A DEAL!!!" he screamed.
"Indeed we have, you are one of us now," They slowly vanished. "Have a nice day," They laughed maniacally. Eaven was in so much pain that he lost control of his thoughts and set the warehouse on fire.

"UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
His vision turned foggy and everything blacked out.

He woke up after getting hit by a few pebbles.

"DEMON!!! LEAVE THIS PLACE!!" a few kids shouted nearby. "Don't do that!! I'm telling mommy!! a little girl shouted at them. "But its been so hot ever since this creature appeared!!!" one of them protested.

The demon stood up and looked at his hands. He looked just like those creatures, like lava. He looked around. The warehouse had turned to ashes.

"Hey, young boy, how long have I been asleep?" he approached one of them who was a little bit chubbier than the others. His voice sounded...distorted. He almost couldn't figure out what he was saying.

The boy trembled in fear and panicked. "Uwaaahh!!!" he ran away.
"W-wait!!" The others started to run too.
"Run!! He's gonna burn us alive!!"

He pointed at them. "I SAID...WAIT!!!"
Suddenly, they all fell to the ground. Their skin started to burn. "Mo...Mommy!!" The girl squeaked.
Moments later, a woman in an apron came out from a house near them. She gasped and ran to her daughter. "Elizabeth!!" she cried.

Was that me? Eaven thought. He lowered his hand. The kids who were attacked finally managed to breathe, and ran back into the house.
The woman glared at him as they entered and locked the door shut.
Why was he so angry? he looked down. This was nothing like he expected. Everyone was supposed to cheer for him. They were supposed to be amazed. Not frightened. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. The only thing he could feel inside him was anger. Anger built up inside him. He wanted to find those bloody merchants and crush them, but he didn't have a clue where they were. The only thing he knew was...

"Glade," the demon cursed.

Glade was on the floor, hands on his chest, struggling to breathe. They were in the bar again, the same place they drank in. Now it was in flames. Everyone else ran away. It was just him and Glade.
"YOU LIED TO ME!!! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS??!!" the fire demon raged.
"I'm sorry," Glade coughed. "They forced me to do this!! They said ye were special!!!"

"There must be something else!!! I could see it in your eyes when we were at the warehouse!!!" he clenched his fist.

Glade paused for a moment. The fire crackled around them.
"They threatened to turn me into what ye are if I refused," he gave out chesty coughs. "Look, I'm quite old now, son. I ain't gonna live the rest of my life in that body of yer's. If ye 'ate me so much, kill me now and ge' it over with," he looked away and forced his eyes shut.

Eaven kept quite for a while. Glade, how could you do this to me after all these years? he thought. His body started to grow flames, like a burning candle. his head took the shape of how his hair used to look like; a wild candle fire.

"I'M NOT A DEMON!!!! YOU ARE!!!" he raged and the fire around him bursted into bigger flames.
"UAAARRGH!!!" Glade screamed in agony.

The fire demon left the bar in ashes. He looked at the forest not far from the village. It was the only place he could stay in...alone.

"One day, I'll destroy this village," he said. And walked towards the forest.