ELEMENTALS

FIRE

She smells the smoke before it hits the alarm.

With a slight shake of her head, she walked briskly towards the establishment. And just as the sound of the fire alarm went blaring, one girl came running out of the door. The girl was fast for someone so tall and before her body can react, a mass of people came dashing out of the grocery store as well. It all happened in just a moment.

I can't lose her...

Looking between the smoking building and the girl she was supposed to go after, she made one final decision. With a sigh, she walked towards the store that's starting to be eaten by a fast growing fire. She was almost impressed at how the flames grew so big for a short amount of time. It only shows how much power was behind it. Raw and untamed and dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Entering the widely open glass door, she stepped inside. Completely unbothered by the growing thick black smoke, walking through the quickly moving yellow-red flames.

She went to the center, right in between the shelves of burning boxes of cereals and oatmeals. Looking around making sure no one is around, and that the security cameras are burned to malfunction, she closed her green eyes.

Composing herself to a calm and sound mind in just a split second, a skill she mastered through time, she opened her eyes once again, her irises turned into the color of the red flames. She raised her open palms and with a surge of pure hot energy, the fire was sucked into her hands, flowing right through her veins like a river. It made her skin glow as the red fire travelled through her veins and her eyes were a brighter shade of red.

It only took her a moment to pull in all that fire and all that was left were the charred debris and the burnt smell of wood, cardboards and plastics. The huge fire was already put out even before the firetruck's sirens can be heard. A fading gray smoke still clouded the room.

Then, it only took her a couple of seconds to look like a normal human being again and not some glowing person with red eyes that anyone can mistake as the demon incarnate.

She wonders what could have caused the girl to unleash her power in such a public place. If a single spark from her caused this much damage, then she must be dealing with something beyond her own skills. And from experience, she's certain a fire like this can only come from a fit of rage. As far as history goes, fire elementals tend to be short tempered and impatient.

However, from what she had laboriously gathered so far, the girl was sweet and easy going despite the difficult circumstances she was living in. There was no indication of her being brash or emotionally unstable. For all the time she has been following her, the girl seems to have her emotions in check all the time. However the burnt state of the grocery store says otherwise. There was really no way of telling for sure until she gets to talk to her.

At least she knows where to follow the girl.

• • •

Oh god, what have I done...

She leaned her back to the red brick wall while catching her breath, unaware that she had ran twelve blocks. Very much further away from the store she unintentionally set fire. And much further away from her so-called home.