Randolf

Smoldering Earth

("Life is the fire that burns and the sun that gives light. Life is the wind and the rain and the thunder in the sky. Life is matter and is earth, what is and what is not, and what beyond is in eternity."

-Seneca The Younger)

She saw images. Flashes. She saw herself surrounded in flames. The fires looked like a bird of some kind. Another flash. Fulki, fire surrounding her every being. Wings of flames protruding from her back, adding to her fiery aura. With the final flash, she saw a flaming shape soaring away from her. The clouds partly obscuring it from view.

Blackness.

She begun to feel again. It was warm. And soft. Her hair drifted slightly as if a breeze was blowing through it. She sucked in a deep breath, taking in the warm air. It tasted of burning wood. A smile appeared on her lips before opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was a red cliff towering over her. Sitting up slowly, her field of vision wided, casing her to gasp in awe. She was sitting under a red, stone overlook. Outside, the sun was setting, casting a red-orange glow on the plateaus around her.

"Welcome back." Raef said, moving to sit next to her.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Few miles north of town." Raef said, before taking her hand and intertwining their fingers, "Do you remember what happened?" He asked carefully, almost as if he were consoling a lost child.

Her eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. The memories came rushing in, hitting her like an anvil in the gut. She tensed, squeezing Raef's hand, "I'm bombed." She said as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

Without warning, Raef wrapped her in his arms, "I will never let them hurt you."

She leaned into his embrace, resting her forehead on his shoulder, before lifting her head and planting a soft, tender kiss on his lips. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away, "We still have a mission to complete." She said, standing up.

Raef stood with her, put refused to release her hand, "Ember, you were bombed."

"Trust me, I know. I think I can feel it in my neck if I move my head the right way." She replied, tilting her head to the side for emphasis, "Look Raef, I may be bombed, but we have to do this. If we don't go and get Terra, then so many more people will fall victim to the government. Not just shifter mages either. The government will wipe out anyone who gets too close or stands against them, no matter what type of 'being' they are." She could feel Fulki agree with her before surging forward. Ember allowed her wolf to take over as she fell on all fours. When she opened her eyes again, she was in third person and world was tented orange, while Raef glowed blue. She begun to trot out of the "cave" before turning back to the stunned fox shifter, "You coming?"

"I don't understand how you're so strong right now. So fearless." Raef said.

"I'm scared as hell, but I'm determined. Who knows how many shifter mages there are out there? The government could be hunting them down, and they wouldn't have the slightest idea." She replied.

"I guess you're right. Anyway, where are we?" Raef asked, noticing how the desert begun to fade into pine trees.

"I don't know maybe-"

"Colorado." Fulki answered.

"Oh." They both said, "Do you know where we're going?" Raef added.

"Yes." Both Ember and Fulki said.

Raef huffed out a breath but continued the long run.

"So hungry." Raef groaned into the mindlink. The sun was rising again, casting an orange glow over the terrain.