Pyre | MxB

Chapter 1 | Eternal flame

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The night feels longer when you're unable to rest. This was something Aster had discovered as he sat bound to a jagged stone alter with only a dim torch light to accompany him.

Aster's small body was a pitiful sight. The elements had taken their toll, the cold and dry breeze inflicting his delicate skin with windburn. Scratches and teeth marks marred his limbs from curious critters that sensed his weakened state. Aster was barely able to frighten them off by thrashing against his bindings and wailing in protest. Unfortunately his efforts had left his throat hoarse and his wrists blistered from the tightly tied rope.

In addition to his external wounds, Aster's stomach ached with hunger. That ache gnawed away at him, leaving him feeling dizzy and disoriented. His only sustenance was the sweat that would accumulate on his forehead and trail down his face to collect on his upper lip. He would lick it away, the bitter taste coating his tongue.

It wasn't long before Aster found himself weeping in loneliness and despair. His salty tears burned the raw and flushed skin of his cheeks. He lifted his head, his blurry eyes finding the fire atop the mountain's summit, the one that never seemed to go out. The eternal flame danced in the wind, its unwavering presence a stark contrast to the turmoil he was currently experiencing.

The glow of the eternal fire illuminated the mouth of the mountain. The flickering light made the shadows within the cave move, giving the eerie impression that it was alive. It was from within this opening that their deity, the mountain's devine guardian, was said to reside.

Aster's brows knit together as a wave of doubt washed over him, feeling his faith in his deity falter. How could a benevolent god allow such suffering to befall him and his village? He who was supposed to nurture their land, now seemed distant and uncaring. Aster's unanswered questions and prayers seemed to taunt him in the flickering light of the eternal flame.

Aster closed his eyes tightly as the despair threatened to overtake him. If his sacrifice wasn't enough to appease the mountain deity, then his village was doomed. But even if the sacrifice was accepted, he knew his fate would remain the same. Either way, Aster was destined for an early death, far from his home and everything he held dear. The thought sent a fresh wave of tears streaming down his face as he sat there, waiting for the inevitable to come.

And come it did.

Suddenly, a loud, guttural snarl echoed in the air, breaking Aster out of his thoughts. He snapped his head around to see a shadowy creature lurking within the tree line, its eyes glinting malevolently in the firelight. Its neck appeared grotesquely twisted, which explained its gurgling cry, the sound sending chills down Aster's spine. Before he could react, the creature lunged forward, its disgustingly long talons reaching out for his throat. Aster barely had time to scream before darkness enveloped him, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

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