Barbara's Book of Fire

Chapter 1

Huff 'Damn me...'

Huff-huff 'Why am I so slow...damn these legs...'

I learned a simple lesson that day.

Catching up with a kerato that ran for its dear life was not an easy task by any means whatsoever, even if it was an injured one.

"Freaking—Huff—Fast..." My lungs screamed for air as strength began to creep out of my limbs; I fell, kissing the wet ground.

'Lost the dinner once more...how can I catch up with them at this rate...?' Comforted by the serene blue sky, I complained.

Confessing silently just how weak I was to the sky had somehow become a routine.

"Say, Fil..." I glanced at the fluffy figure standing within my arm's reach. "Can't you, like, do something? I mean, you are one of those long-forgotten ancestral beasts...A wolf...Is it? Why don't you be a good boy and help me out next time, okay boy?"

'Now that I think about it, is Filtiarn actually a boy? Well, Mace did say Filtiarn is the King of wolves...'

'Arggh!' I scratched my head in frustration, realizing my thoughts had trailed off again.

Filtiarn tilted his head in confusion, treading slowly and brushed his fur against my arm...Or where it was supposed to be anyway. I looked at the marking on Filtiarn's right foreleg that matched the one on my right shoulder.

Macie said it was the 'proof of bond' between Filtiarn and me, and I really liked it when she put it like that. To me, it served as an escape route whenever the frustration of losing my arm gnawed me bare. 

'Well, no matter...' I reassured myself and pushed my exhausted body up once again.

"Look here, Fil." He tilted his head, staring at my finger.

"We said we would be searching for our own food, right? And stop relying on Lance and Mace for a change." He sniffed and then licked my finger adorably.

"So, I will need your help here, buddy...As you can see, I am not the best runner in the forest. Even a kerato with one foot on the grave can outrun me—Hell, if Mace saw this, I'm sure she'll mock me to death..." I put a palm on my face, trying to wash away the shame and dread upon remembering Macie's usual mockery that rang friskily inside my mind.

"Anyway, there's only so much a weak and slow runner like me can accomplish. Luckily, I have you with me. So, we still have a good chance to score out a game for dinner...And if something happens again...like just now. I will be counting on you, partner." Finished with the long-winded monologue, I locked eyes with Filtiarn.

'I explain everything, but did he get any of it...? All he keeps doing is tilting his head and licking my finger. Well, it is cute, though...' Blinking in a daze, I continued to indulge in spoiling Filtiarn silly.

'No! Barbara! Focus!!' I reprimanded my weak self harshly. 'Filtiarn can't be underestimated. We'll burn the day out if I don't pull myself together!'

With that said, I broke free from him and started prepping up the hunt.

I toiled around for the next couple of hours to make the trap Lance taught me. Building it with only one good arm really turned the difficulty up a notch...Still, I didn't want to make a habit of whining about this and that if I could help it. 

Ever since the night Lance saved me, I have decided to live strong. I couldn't stay weak for the sake of Pa and Ma, who protected and gave their life for me.

'Lance said that one's will and power must go hand-in-hand to be strong. I realized nowadays just how severely lacking I was in both things.' Staring at the crude-looking trap, a deep sigh escaped weakly from my lips.