Flickering Flame

Opening Picture

In the flickering light of Everwind, on a stony beach to the east, a boy fights for his light. Alone in a small shack, he awakens in a pile of hay. Kogan, covered in dirt and skin in bones, walks out to find his shame. He sees a farm of decaying crops, some trampled over, and his drunk father asleep in the field. 

Kicking his leg, Kogan asks, "You alive old man?" With a mix of harshness and worry in his voice. As his father pushes his leg away, making random noises, Kogan looks down at him with tired eyes. "Right... I'm off now... I'll see you when I get back." He walks away with dullness in his eyes as the light flickers and the picture fades.

The flame relights as tears are in his eyes, Kogan finds himself holding an ax, breathing heavily. He rushes forward, slashing down on an orc boy. But the orc grabs his arm, stopping the blow, and lifts Kogan into the air, slamming him to the ground. The ax spins out of his hand as he hits the ground. He holds out his free hand in front of his face, while the orc starts repeatedly punching him.

"P...pl..ea..se s-sto-" Kogan cries, his face going numb. The punches continue, and his vision blurs. But then, a stern voice says, "Stop." The moment it's said, they stop. The orc pulls off Kogan, walks away, and stands at attention, their fist covered in blood. The orc instructor, covered in tattoos, looks at the orc boy with a nod, then looks at Kogan with a disgusted look and sternly says, "Stand up."

Kogan slowly pushes himself off the ground, tears and blood dripping from his face. He stands at attention as the instructor walks around him, addressing everyone on the training grounds. "I'VE SEEN BABIES FIGHT BACK BETTER. PER USUAL, WE HAVE A PUSSY CRYING ON A WARRIOR'S GROUNDS. TELL ME, ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOURSELF?"

Kogan's breaths are labored as he holds back tears, "No, sir."

"SPEAK UP, PUSSY."

"NO, SIR."

"EVERYONE, GET DOWN AND GIVE ME SOME PUSH-UPS."

The rustle of movement, along with others groaning, as everyone gets down to do push-ups. Kogan gets into position. His body shakes as he pushes up and down. His bloodshot eyes clouded with tears, the flame inside him flickers. Kogan pushes himself through each push-up, feeling his body grow distant as the picture fades away.

Kogan's body moves, but his mind drifts away. He enters a soft blackness, where voices echo into nothingness. The pictures fade in and out, lacking any realness. It's like a picture in a frame. He stays in this static state until the voices quiet down and the picture goes dark.

Suddenly, Kogan finds himself on a stone beach. The water flows back and forth, splashing against him as he gazes out. He listens to the waves, hearing them speak words like "one more day," "take a breath," and "you'll be okay." As he looks into the water, he sees his reflection, feeling detached from reality. 

He touches his reflection, watching the water ripple until it crashes like a wave. He looks towards the village and his hut, finding it all to be a strange picture. Softly, he says, "What a strange picture," as the scene fades and darkness becomes softer and quieter, until everything disappears.