Nothing but Ashes

There was a flash. A flame so bright, it would be no match for the sun. A flame, made to be as painful as possible. It was as clear as day; commander Bamwind had enough of the ongoing scurry; it was almost a last resort to him, cloaking himself in flames, and...

There was a ringing noise.

When the flash dissipated, another straw-hatted figure clad in black and orange, covered in little burns, opened his eyes and looked forward; it was Bamwind's brother, Bamburai. There were small flames of a dying blue scattered over the battlefield, twigs burning to ashes, and...

"BAMBERLY!"

Bamburai dropped his katana and ran to the center of the battle front, the sounds of his footsteps on the now burnt ground mixing in with the crackling of the fire and snapping of twigs. A singular tear fell out of his eye, his fears taking control of his train of thought.

And right in the center, dotted by the same blue flames, laid a girl clad in cyan and black; she donned a white hat, now greyed out by the flames, and her once flowing charcoal hair was veiled by an almost dead conflagration. That girl was Bamberly, Bamburai's one true love.

She wasn't breathing.

"..."
"...fuck..."
"this...this can't be happening..."
"i..."
"...i was too late..."

Surely this was all a dream, right? He could just close his eyes, wake up in his room with Bamberly, and all would be well, right?

He shut his eyes for a moment...

...

It was all the same.
No difference, at all.
He felt so, so weak.

She had still perished. There was nothing he could do.

"..."
"...alas..."
"this is all i can do..."

He gently lifted her burn-covered body, careful enough to not peel off anymore skin, and looked around. Smoke was rising from every corner, and it seems like Bamwind was nowhere to be seen.

As he walked, tears welled up in his eyes; it all came to him that he wasn't strong enough to protect her.
He failed to protect his beloved one.
He would never be able to see her again.
That he was a terrible, terrible significant other.

"...i'm so sorry..."

He lamented, wishing he had never dragged her into this mess in the first place. He should've kept quiet. Now, he was holding the body of his partner, who had drawn her last breath just moments ago.

He promised to be there with her forever, 'till the end of time, and he broke that promise.

Bamburai has always been an iron-willed man, stoic and responsible, always ready for anything. But this...he never readied himself for this. He always dreaded this would happen. He always dreaded of losing his darling girl, especially in a situation like this; and that fear came true. To him, it was a damnation; he always had a soft spot for Bamberly, cherishing every little moment with her and protecting her from harm at all times...and now, there she was, trapped in a deep slumber she would never wake up from.

"...here we are, my lady..."

He finally arrived at the village, a place that used to be his home; he walked past several houses, clad in white and red; the villagers gave him looks of both scorn and concern.
He who betrayed the village had returned after years and years; but...who is that girl he's carrying over?

Some villagers followed him in curiosity, some others sneered in disapproval, a few others asked what was going on, only to be met with no answers and many others just watched along as he marched along the path.

It all clicked for them when he stepped foot in a field of red spider lilies and walked to its very center; he had lost someone he loved dearly, someone he vowed to cherish until the end of time itself.

Bamburai placed Bamberly's lifeless body in the middle of the field; every flame on her had now extinguished, leaving nothing but smoke dancing in the air in a melancholic ballad of love and death.

"...even with all this..."
"i'll still...fulfill my promise..."
"...i'll stay with you...until the end..."
"...till my last breath..."

He stayed true to his word.
He never left her side, ever.
He stayed with her...
...Until he had finally drawn his last breath.