The Fire Within

Hellfire

“We have been walking for hours and you haven't answered any of my questions.” Cirice said pointedly as she dogged a branch. Alex was walking in front of her, the trek through the dense woods making Cirice fatigued--walking in the city wasn't nearly this hard. Alex chuckled, turning over a medium sized stone with a long stick.

“You are right. What do you want to know?” he asked softly. The light of midday beamed through the autumn branches above them, some patches brighter than others.

“Where are we going?” she started, eyeing him. Alex cleared his throat.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t come.” Alex replied. Cirice scoffed.

“Okay, well what about what you told me earlier about my supposed parents?” Cirice tried the word foreign on her lips.

“You promise to listen?” Alex asked, eyeing her. She nodded.

“Your father is a High Priest.” he started.

“Kinda like a Pope?” Cirice shot, brows furrowed. Alex glared at her and she quieted.

“Your father is Papa Emeritus the Third. He is High Priest of the Dark Vale. Wait, I'll tell you,” Alex shot as Cirice's mouth opened.

“The Dark Vale is a sanctuary. A place of solace for all of those who feel rejected and ostracized by our society.”

“1872’s society, right?” Cirice asked. Alex forgave that interruption with a nod.

“The religion is simple. Believe in yourself and the Dark Lord and you shall thrive. That is what your father did as his brothers before him, however they did not fair so well.” Alex informed as they crossed a narrow stream. He reached out his hand and she took it gratefully.

“Is he still alive?” Cirice whispered as Alex released her hand. He nodded.

“Waiting for you every day. Where we just came from was where the Vale used to sit. After the fire, he relocated his followers to a safer location.” Alex finished.

“What about my mother?” Cirice asked softly, grateful to have any information no matter it's authenticity. Alex smiled.

“I hear she was the most captivating creature anyone in the Vale ever beheld. I am told she had quite the fire, though I was merely a boy when she came.” Cirice took in his words.

“What happened to her?” Alex sighed.

“She fell in love. Had you and then all hell broke loose.” Alex said curtly.

“She isn't-.” Alex answered her question with a shake of his head. Cirice, though unsure it anything he said was true, felt a sudden pang of sadness pit in her stomach.

“So let's say that I believe any of this, what happened to me? If I was born in 1849, how did I grow up in the 2000’s?” Cirice asked quizically. Alex opened his mouth and closed it.

“That actually is-.” Mid sentence Alex quieted. He had stopped in his tracks, causing Cirice to stumble into him. She flinched at the slight press of spine through his shirt. Alex was very still, listening. Cirice watched him, yet she also noticed the sudden change in the forest around them.

Birds no longer called, and the hair on the back of her neck was raised. Her hand clasped instinctively on Alex's arm.

“What is it?” she asked softly. Alex shushed her, listening.

A bush rustled beside them and to their suprise, an ostrich appeared. It eyed them quizzically as Cirice and Alex stood in surprise.

“Is that normal?” Cirice whispered. Alex shook his head.

“I have never seen that animal before.” he commented as it watched them.
“It's an ostrich. They aren't agressive.” the bird took a step forward.

“They aren't known to be agressive.” It took another and then a snap sounded. The ostrich began to contort and soon Alex realized what they were dealing with.

“Come on.” Alex seized Cirice’s wrist and dragged her forward. Their feet pounded against the forest floor as a pained moaning echoed behind them.

“What is that thing!?” Cirice cried, fighting to glance back. Alex yanked on her hand and forced her to keep looking forward. The trees around them molded into a blur as they raced through the forest, the creatures sounds growing louder.

“It's a ghūl!” he cried as they leapt under low-lying branches.

“How do we stop it?” Cirice asked as they continued forward, exhaustion ebbing at her. She willed herself on.

“We don't! We just keep-” Alex was knocked backwards, his hand disconnecting from Cirice's, causing her to tumble forward. Cirice's face skidded into the dense forest floor and when she sat up, she spat dirt and grass.

Her eyes fell to the commotion feet away from her. A large, burnt beast fought it's way to bite Alex's throat. Alex was landing punches that seemed fruitless.

“Hey!” Cirice screamed, unsure of what prompted her to attract attention. She pushed herself up and called again as it almost reached Alex's throat.

“Stop!” she cried. The beast whipped around, it's eyes large black holes and it's claws long and sharp.

“Ljusbringare!” it cried, it's voice distorted. It took a few daunting steps towards her as Alex scrambled up.

“Du skall dö!” it roared before racing towards her. Cirice panicked, throwing her hands out in front of her to protect herself.

Suddenly, her hands felt cold--as if they had fallen asleep. Her eyes had been snapped shut, afriad to see the creature. However, they inched open as the creature began to cry in pain. Billowing from Cirice's hands was a bright blue fire.
It engulfed the creature, blazing against the bright afternoon and casting a glow on the trees. Before she could register what was happening the creature was nothing more than a pile of ash.

Cirice stumbled backwards, the fire morphing back into her pristine hands. Her legs gave out and she fell limp on the forest floor.

“What was that?” she asked softly as Alex ran to her side. He cradled her head as she took in the silhouettes of tree branches against the blue sky.

“Hellfire.” Alex said, releasing a suprised scoff as darkness crept over Cirice's vision.