Welcome to day 28 of Fyretober! I hope you’re all enjoying a month of flash fiction as much as I am. Enjoy today’s writing challenge from Fyrecon’s Fyretober!
They stood behind him. Ancis knew they were there, as they had been there when he needed them the most. Drancent the wise. Eansin the strong. Wulfa the huntress. Gryany and her spells. Even little Rida was there though she’d only showed up for the last leg of his journey. He could not have made it this far without all of them.
Now, after years of toil he had reached his path’s end. The Fyre Elemental burned before him held between the two columns of the Deity, fingers which touched their reality with the boon of creation.
“It’s beautiful,” he breathed taking a step closer. It was a fire which burned with more color and fervor than any he had witnessed in his life, from hearth to forge, to camp. Not even when the wicked Phamond had burned his village through foul magic had he seen such… life.
A hand thudded on her shoulder. “Go on.” He glanced back to see Eansin standing behind him with a wide grin. “This is what we’ve all worked for.”
“Well, not all of us,” Rida muttered. Wulfa cuffed her head and the girl cringed ducking away from the huntress.
Ancis knew she was right. They had all strived, but she had joined them only to escape the trap they’d sprung which had swept her up with them in the last village a day’s ride away. Still, her wiry frame and quick hands had released them from the trap, and she had joined them, even if unwillingly.
Returning his attention to Eansin, Ancis reached up, he smacked the man’s hand in acknowledgement, and turned back to the Fyre. It was time to become and solve every problem Phamond had ravaged his life with. Stepping forward he reached out, stretching his arms he reached around the Fyre as if in welcome.
And stepped forward.
Light flared blocking his path. Ancis rebounded backward, stumbling several steps until Drancent steadied him. He glanced to his mentor. “I… don’t understand.” Equal shock mirrored back in his friend’s face. And the others as well when he glanced to them. The Fyre had rejected him?
Silence broke into a babble of voices and theories were thrown out. Drancent, Eansin, Wulfa, and Gryany all approached the flame reaching out tentative hands and each were rejected by the light. The noise in the chamber grew as they argued turning from the Fyre to discuss in their accustomed tight knot.
This was the prophesied end to his path, the claiming of the Fyre. Not one of them could figure where they had misread the prophecy. He had endured every trial. Performed every deed without complaint. Okay, some complaint, but he was mortal and persevered. So why now at the end of their journey and their sacrifices could he not claim the Fyre and save all creation from Phamond.
A pop sounded behind them.
They turned together and saw Rida, with her hands help before her and head lowered. Behind her the column of the Deity were empty.
Empty and not.
Her skin glowed as if a sun burned within her, but one of many colors twinning and wrapping about themselves. She had claimed the Fyre?
“Rida?” Wulfa asked stepping forward and extending a hand to the child. “How did you?”
She looked up at him. “Because your journey is over.” Her voice was not the same petulant whine he’d endured the last day. No, if had deepened in the last moments. “The Fyre choose me because mine is not over, just beginning.”
Drancent huffed as if frustrated with himself. “Fyre is creation.” He shook his head. “Of course it could choose none of us where our parts end. It had to choose the path of possibility.”
Ancis looked between the girl and the old man. His face twitched and it took several minutes of his mind churning through what he saw, and the man said. “You mean everything I did and achieved precluded me from being worthy?”
“Well…” Drancent paused and tapped his chin. “Yes.” The man shrugged.
Ancis let out a breath and turned away. “Where are you going?” Wulfa hollered after him.
He waved a hand. “My part is done. I’m going home.” No footsteps followed him and for the first time in years Ancis was alone. Vaguely, he wondered what was next. And promptly decided for once that wasn’t his problem anymore.
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“Fyretober isn’t for just writers or just artists. It’s for everyone who loves to create, and this month we’re looking to see your flash fiction, poetry, and illustrations every day. We’ll be providing daily prompts for the month and want to see what new concepts and wonders you can make with them.
Join the creation fun and share your work with us.
This isn’t a contest. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be giving out random prizes for amazing work.”
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