Werrin's Voice: Dancing Fire

Introduction

The sun was setting over the mountains. Max sat atop a tree, hanging on a branch with his legs dangling over the sides. Around him, birds and lizards and other creatures fluttered and crawled about.
Max's village sat below him, across the river. As night neared, the people began locking up shops and homes. Max saw his home in the distance- a slightly larger one, since his great grandparents had founded the village.
But, just as any night, Max watched as Kynar, a large, red-scaled monster of a dragon, flew overhead. He was coming to check on the village, make sure no one was misbehaving. Every night, the beast arrived at sundown, sent from the Kaígontas Vouná, or "Burning Mountain," home of the Fire Lord Remapal.
Remapal was one of the Four Lords of the land. He was the Lord of Fire, and his domain was all the villages and kingdoms in the western portion of Werrin. He was a ruthless dictator, who enslaved the people of his domain. Often, a group of half-man, half-dragon, known as the Jackals, would arrive at the village and take men and women away to the mountain to either be enslaved or eaten. The Jackals were a scary sight. They looked like a man, except with wings and scales. Like all the other minions of Remapal, they were red. Remapal himself was the only one in his domain who wasn't red- he was a very bright and menacing orange, with white stripes running down his body. Only once had Max ever laid eyes on him, when the Lord of Fire had come to his village when he was only six. Some people had acted out against him, and he had come to publicly execute them. Since then, the Lord had kept to himself.
Max quickly dropped from his branch. He swung himself down to the next one, landed in a crouch, and did the same thing until he was on the ground. He ran across the forest floor, towards the river. He jumped on rocks and ran through town until he was at his house.
Right as Kynar landed on the roof of the enormous house Max called home, Max ran up and stood behind his parents.
"Ah," the dragon said in his deep, guttural voice. "Night has arrived once again."
"Everyone is here. Now, you can leave," Max's father said to the beast.
"Not so fast, human. Tonight, my Jackals will search your town. There are rumors that someone with special powers are among you, and we want to find them."
"That's not part of our agreement!" Max's father yelled at the scaly monster.
The dragon huffed and dropped to the stone path the family stood on. He lowered his head until he was snout-to-nose with Max's father.
"Our 'agreement' has changed. We both know of the little prophecy that your people have. Lord Remapal suspects it has been fulfilled. I have been tasked with retrieving this hero you speak of. If you stand in my way, I will burn your entire village down."
Max's father stared at the dragon with hatred, but backed down. He, a mere man, would never beat the dragon.
"Wise choice. Jackals, search the town. Bring me the hero."
A dozen Jackals appeared from thin air and spread out through the village, searching.
Max was scared and angry. He looked at Kynar, who was about to take to the skies. Max suddenly had a burning sensation at his fingertips.
Without thinking, an instinct inside him talking over, he raised his hands to the dragon and all the hatred focused.
Flames shot from his palms and washed over the scales of the dragon. The beast was surprised, but wasted no time. He reared up and stood on its hind legs, wings spread. He looked at Max and let out a roar, fire coming with it.
Max put his hands over his face, expecting to be burned. But, after a moment, he realized things had suddenly become cooler. He opened his eyes and looked towards the dragon. Between them was a wall of water.
Max's parents stood near the edge of the path holding each other in fear. Max looked from them to Kynar, who was charging him.
The wall of water dropped and the dragon grabbed Max in his giant, clawed hands. Max took in a deep breath, as the dragon's grip tightened around his neck.
Suddenly, the stones on the path began to rise around them. Kynar loosened his grip as the shock of what was happening hit him.
The stones shot inwards and pelted Kynar. The dragon let go of Max and he dropped, landing on his back and having the wind knocked out of him. He gasped and writhed as he tried to regain his breath.
Kynar raised his wings to protect himself from the stones. Max watched as they pelted and impaled the dragon. Stones ripped through his wings and tore off chunks of flesh.
Finally, the stones dropped back where they came from, leaving Kynar bloody and wounded. His wings were cut and full of holes- he was unable to fly.
Max, who was breathing again, got up and walked over to the dragon. The beast lay on the path, bleeding and huffing weakly.
Max wasn't cruel- he killed the dragon with his fire, disintegrating his head. The lifeless body lay on the ground, beading and twitching.
Max's parents stood, staring in awe.
Jackals came running up the path. They surrounded Max.
Max let the instinct take control again- he put hands to either side of his body, raising them to shoulder level.
The Jackals charged him, and a dome of fire appeared and killed them all.
As the flames disappeared, Max fell. He was exhausted.
His parents fine to him and kneeled beside him.
"Max! Wha- how did you do that?" his mother asked.
"I don't know."
Max's father looked to the mountains. "You just killed Kynar, one of Remapal's most trusted. He'll be coming for you. He will burn this entire village to the ground for this."
Max looked to the mountains, too. "I know. We can't stay, can we?"
"No. Remapal is going to hunt you down. All he wants is you."
Max knew, at that moment, that he couldn't stay. He couldn't let them be part of this.
"Max," his mother whispered. "You're Werrin's Voice."