I ran, carrying a girl past the haunting trees. Passing their bloodstained trunks, their grey, clawing branches reached out towards me asking, “Won’t you stay?”

“Leave me alone!” I shouted, breath heavy and eyes full of sweat. My vision was blurry, and I could barely make out the dirt path under me, which cut through the dead forest underneath the blazing sunset sky. The route would take me down the mountain to a canyon, where a rickety wooden bridge crossed to the other side, my destination and haven.

My frail body wasn’t suited for such tedious work, for I was used to letting magic do my work. I was nearing a state of exhaustion, legs burning and arms numb from my quarry’s weight.

But the wild shouts from behind drove me forwards.

Run! My mind screamed.
Three Years Ago

“You’re a monster.”

Those simple words, said by the villagers years ago, changed my life. That day was perfect with a clear sky, a sweet breeze, and a grassy knoll that I stood on, surrounded the green savannah. Into the distance, the edges of a lush forest could be seen, full of life.

“A monster?” I exclaimed, eyes wide.

The villagers nodded, all garbed in their common, austere robes with flat colors.

“Your power could burn our village down,” one said.

“Your dangerous,” another added. “You’re a demon.”

“In the interest of the people, you will live alone on the edge of the forest,” a final villager announced. “Serves you right, monster.”
…

I shook my head clear of the memory of my banishment to focusing on my current predicament.

A yell from my right startled me as a muscular man leapt from the trees. His skin was dark from time under the sun, and a wild bloodlust blazed in his eyes. The furs he wore across his body were ragged and dirty, stained with blood from other creatures, while a necklace of bones hung from his neck, clinking and jingling into each other. Gripped in his hands was a small blade, deadly because of its sharp, curved edge.

“Hyah!” he hollered, flying towards me, ready to strike.

“Stay away!” I yelped, fearful of the cannibalistic killer. I threw my right hand at the charging murderer, and an tongue of flame roared from my palm. It spiraled like a pouncing snake, scorching the attacker’s skin as he screamed and fell.

Terrified, I turned and continued to run.

That was my power. The destructive Flames of Disaster. It was why I was exiled to the edges of the forest, forbidden to interact with the village, when I wasn’t even ten years of age. It was why I was feared as a child, called a monster and demon. It was why I buried myself in my studies to become strong, to use these flames to gain revenge on the inconsiderate mongrels who shattered my happiness.

But here I was saving a girl from that same village

As I continued down the path, I glanced down at the girl in my arms, no more than seven years of age. Her sleeping face was so calm, despite the situation. Pale skin was as bright as moonlight, and golden hair shone like the sun. Although they were closed, I knew that her eyes were sapphire-blue, just like the sky on that almost-perfect day. Her garb was simple; a white dress untainted freshly fallen snow.

She’s so peaceful, I thought. Just like back then.
One Year Ago

After my banishment, I spent my days in my small shack. Built from thin branches of trees, the interior smelled like leaves and the forest: fresh and serene. A simple, flat roof defended me from the elements, while a single door provided entrance into the abode.

I sat cross-legged in the middle of the shack, around the books of magic, eyes shut as I focused and held hands in front of me.

I breathed.

The heat warmed my hands as I summoned a small tongue of flame between my palms. As I opened my eyes, it flickered in the air.

“More,” I whispered, willing more energy into the flame.

Obeying my command, the flame began to grow. I held my hands out more as a flame the size of my head began to glow with a golden-bright hue.

But a stray tongue of flame brushed against my hand, and I recoiled from the burn. As my concentration was broken, so was the flame, disappearing like it had never existed.

I hunched over, deflated as I failed to control the fire once more.

“Are you okay, mister?”

In an instant I had leapt from my seat to the opposite wall, turning around to face the door that was now open.

I stared at the young girl who stood in the doorway, her eyes wide as the wind outside waved her golden hair and simple, white dress around.

“That was amazing!” her soft, light voice exclaimed.

“What?” I gaped at her unusual reaction.

As she hopped into the shack, she smiled. “That was really amazing! The fire was really big, and it burned so brightly!”

She stood before me, and I relaxed before kneeling so our eyes were level.

“Young girl, do you know who I am?”

She nodded, answering, “You’re the fire-man that everybody doesn’t like because they think you’re scary.”

I stared into her eyes. “Aren’t I?”

Smiling again, she shook her head. “Nope! You’re not scary at all! You’re really nice!”

“Why?” This girl had never met me before, and she was calling me nice?

“I can see it in your eyes!” she said, before looking very closely at my irises. “Your eyes aren’t full of anger and worry like everyone else. I can see calmness and generosity in them. That’s why I think you’re nice!”

I was deadpan at her naïve, childish opinion.

“So can we be friends?” she asked.

A silence.

“Sure,” I answered.
…

More hollers came from the trees beside me, and several warriors leapt out, weapons poised to strike.

Blast! Where did they come from?

Acting quickly, I kneeled onto the ground and propped the girl against my knee, before throwing both arms at the leaping warriors, summoning an enormous wave of fire from my palms and engulfing them in the unbearable heat.

In the chaos, a loose tongue of flame licked a dead tree.

Silently, I cursed.

In an instant, the forest around me was ablaze, and the conflagration slowly spread through the dead forest. Picking up into a run once more, I flew through the trees as they burst into flame behind me, like prey fleeing from the predator.

Screams in the trees behind me informed that several of the cannibals had been burned by the inferno, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

The edge of the dead forest soon came into view at the bottom of the mountain path, followed by an enormous chasm. The thin wood-and-rope bridge connected both sides of the canyon hung dangerously over a long drop into the river below, which would wash away anything in its furious, merciless current.

I’m so near the end, I thought, thinking back to why I had set out to save this girl.
A Few Days Ago

“She’s been kidnapped!” a villager despaired.

“Who was it?” everyone demanded, surrounding him on top of the grassy knoll.

“The cannibalistic tribe of warriors, who feast upon the blood of their enemies,” I answered, approaching from behind them. “The Bloodlusts.”

“What are you doing here?” my banishers accosted me, stepping forwards aggressively.

“I’ve come to tell you where the Bloodlusts took her,” I answered, undaunted by their belligerence.

A villager scoffed. “Do you think that will make us accept you? Ha! Are you so deep into wizardry that you’ve started to dream of a magic world where everything works for you?”

“I’ve also come to volunteer to get her back,” I finished.

“How do you think you’ll get her back? The Bloodlusts are natural killers!” one protested.

“And it’s like you care?” I asked quietly.

Taken aback, the villagers stammered, “No, not really.”

“Then let me go,” I said flatly. “If I die, it will be a favor for you all. You all hate me anyways. And if I bring her back, I’ll just go back to living at the forest. Either way, you’ll gain something from this, won’t you?”

Everyone was silent before someone asked, “Why are you doing this?”

I shrugged. “Why not? Helping people is a good thing, isn’t it? Isn’t that what this village believes?”

“But we mistreated you. We banished you. And you want to help us?” They were gaping now, his eyes wide with surprise.

My gaze lowered down to my hands. “You’ve always called my magic the power to burn; to hurt; to destroy. But I’ll show you that I can create with these flames. I’ll create a future for that girl and this village, not with the Flames of Disaster, but with the Power of Tomorrow.”
…

I reached the bottom of the mountain path and stepped onto the wooden bridge, whose planks clunked under my steps. Dashing across the bridge, I suddenly heard voices from the other side.

“There they are!” The villagers were waiting at the end, waiting in anticipation.

“What did you do? The entire forest is burning!” one exclaimed as I stepped off the bridge, lowering my package onto the ground.

“You worthless idiot! You said you would create a future, but you destroyed the forest! Those trees are dead, but they once held the soul of a living being!”

I cringed at their castigation, lowering my head in shame.

“That’s a horrible thing to say,” a soft, light voice sharply interjected.

I whipped my head around to see my quarry awake and sitting up, glaring at the chief.

“He risked so much to save me! Shouldn’t you at least be a little grateful?” she scolded, fiercely admonishing the villagers, who were surprised at her words.

A screech from the bridge interrupted us, as a horde of surviving cannibalistic warriors escaped from the burning forest, brandishing their weapons and charging across the bridge.

“There’s more?” the villagers were fearful now, backing away. “Run! Run away!”

It was the worst possible situation – we had no weapons for defense, and we couldn’t outrun the warriors. We had no hope.

Almost.

Slowly, I stood.

“What are you doing?” the girl asked, as she looked up to me.

I turned around and smiled at her.

“Giving you a future,” I answered.

Turning back to the bridge, I stepped onto the wooden planks, crossing to greet the killers who so desired blood.

“Wait, come back!” she cried. “What are you thinking?”

But I ignored her pleas as I immediately broke into a run, holding my arms out wide. As the warriors advanced with crazed grins, enormous fireballs erupted from my hands, flickering as bright as an afternoon sun.

I screamed.

As I ran across the bridge, I screamed with all of the hatred I had felt during all of my life; the hatred of those who banished me, hated me, and feared me. I screamed with rage at the warriors, and screamed with fear of death.

I screamed with happiness that the girl, my friend, would live.

I slammed both hands and fireballs onto the wooden bridge, catching the hanging kindling ablaze.

In an instant, the planks and ropes burnt into blackened crisps, no longer suspending in the air and now controlled by gravity.

The warriors, the bridge, and I fell.

My heart was wrenched from my chest as I dropped into the canyon below, and I slowly closed my eyes, blocking out the rushing wind and the warriors’ screams as I enjoyed my last moments.

I gave you a future, I thought.

As I struck the raging river with tremendous force, I smiled.
A Few Days Later

“It’s been a few days since you saved me.”

I sat atop the grassy knoll in the village, my white dress and golden hair fluttering in the breeze. Before me lay a flat, inscribed stone, with a single word on it:
Blaze

“A few days since you fell,” I whispered again, remembering my savior falling into the canyon.

“Thanks for saving me,” I whispered softly to the wind, hoping my savior heard.

I suddenly sobbed as my chest was torn asunder from anguish; torn from the pain of loss.

“You were always so mistreated by everyone,” I choked out. “They hated you, everything you did, and they even banished you. They never talked to you, and they never ungrateful, no matter what you did.”

With anger and sadness, I smacked the grassy ground. “But you were so nice!” I cried. “No matter what, you always offered to help!”

Suddenly, a soft, caring hand came to rest atop my head.

“I said I would give you a future,” a familiar voice said quietly.

Leaping up, I turned to greet my visitor: a boy slightly older than me, whose hair was a bright, fiery red. Long robes of dark crimson flowed like water, and drawn across his mouth was a smile so subtle but so happy that he practically radiated joy.

Emblazoned into his palms was the symbol of an orange flame.

As realization dawned upon me, his smile grew, and I leapt to embrace my best friend.

“You idiot!” I wailed, crying into his chest as he laughed and smiled.

“I’m back.”