On the darkest night during the last of the Month of Scorching Suns an enormous fire laid claim to the Ancient Forest of Talia in Lothren, a beautiful hidden region nestled deep in the heart of the remote Banner Islands. The Lord Regent of Aerendel, Reid Aerys, rode in on his mare to investigate.
The great Lothren forests were littered with old, thick trees that have always stood. Many of these ancient trees were red cedars as tall as the eye could see.These trees were stripped bark-less in innate patterns along the trunks, with often unreadable symbols carved along them, spiraling around the trunks.
The Ancient Forest of Talia was one of the sacred sites of the Lunarei; nocturnal hunters native to the Banner Islands. It was an ancestral forest marked with hieroglyphs from their ancestors.
Reid rode for three hours on his black horse towards the thick smoke that rose into the red afternoon sky.
He wore a large tattered cloak, dyed as if it had been soaked in the reddest of wines, complete with a large hood that obscured his face.
The black bear fur trim around then neck of the cloak veiled the scars around his pale neck.
His old armour was crafted from silver, etched and smithed with techniques unknown to local blacksmiths in the Islands.
Along his side hung a large leather scabbard. In it his famous white sword; Snow, an old claymore forged from white steel with its unusual name etched into the hilt.
His claymore reached a man's full arm in length but was light enough to be held as if it was a mere short sword. Few swordsmen could claim they have ever held a sword forged from White Cressan Steel; masterforged blades so rare that highborn men campaigned wars over them, and sons kinslayed for them. Witches told tales of the White Steels seductive, possessive powers over men. Curses that drove men into madness.
The smoke and ashes of the flaming cedar forest rose high in the air. Back and forth the ashes of Talia spiraled up into the air, carried off by the strong winds rolling down from the Sacred Mountain.
His mare galloped at a steady pace, entering the smoldering forest's main path that he had only once traveled before. This dusty unkempt path led him to the heart of the forest. Reid’s dark shoulder length hair began to singe as he drew closer to the mighty flames.
One by one the trees began to light up.
The fire grew wild, feeding off of the dry moongrass that covered the forest floors like a thick blanket and the abundance of fallen cedar branches and leaves created a thick heavy smoke. The old forest burned as the flames grew sevenfold in size, claiming the reach of the ancient forest as its own.
"Gods, help us," Reid exhaled, as he watched the fire steadily grow out of control around him.
He coughed heavily from the thick smoke. Blinding light from the immense flames pierced through silhouetting the thousands of charred and naked, smoldering cedar trees. Everything from the lush moongrass to the lower travelling wildlife was engulfed by the great fire.
"There is no saving this land. We must travel home with haste, Sarsa." He muttered to his mare, stroking her course mane. Reid coughed heavily, inhaling smoke with every drawing breath.
A silhouette of a young girl came into Reid’s sight. She approached his position, covered in smoke and flames.
Reid and his horse stood upon a path of unlit moongrass and heated dirt, untainted by the burning coals and embers and burning tree trunks surrounding them. She must of heard the sounds of his heavy coughs and dry wheezing, he thought.
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The young girl cried out in a low moan. Each slow step she took sizzled in the fire like water extinguishing smoldering coals. She drew closer and closer to Reid and his mare.
A loud shriek wailed from behind the girl; the sounds of a creature burning alive. The girl, frightened, looked back. In shock, she turned to look at Reid, and hastily drew steps faster towards him.
Reid put his hand around the hilt of his sword. He paused, staring at the girl while she rushed towards him.
"I can…" He muttered. "I can’t slay you."
Reid felt as if he should strike her down, and end the suffering of burning alive. Reid drew his sword from his sheath.
"Gods, what would you have me do?" he whispered out loud to himself.
It would be an easier death, he thought, but he knew he couldn't cut down a little girl- not again, he was no longer a knight under orders. If she could walk, then she could survive, he thought. Reid sheathed his sword and took his hand off of the hilt, extending it towards the girl.
The girl approached with caution, frightened by the dangerous looking man. She wasn't screaming from the fire lingering on her and smoldering coals that she crossed. It intrigued him.
The young girl just stood, staring into his squinting bloodshot eyes from below. Reid violently coughed with each drawing breath. Her eyes were a mesmerizing blue.
The girl was stark naked and covered in peeling, and charred, cooked skin. Lingering flames flickered, dancing along her seared slender body. Her singed hair covered most of her face, obscuring it.
The smell of burning hair and seared flesh could be smelt among the harsh cedar smoke and fire of the great flames. This girl was something extraordinary, he thought. She walked, stumbling, but walked no less.
Her hair mostly remained. She should be dead or near death but approaches me still, he thought. A moan of pain can be heard from her but she should bellow much louder. She should cry in agony.
The young girl grabbed hold of Reid's callused, rough hand that he held out extended towards her. Reid held her hand tight.
Her palm was as soft as a newborn's touch. Reid pulled her up onto his mare, sitting her facing forward in front of him. Reid pulled his heavy tattered red cloak off, and held it in front of her, offering it.
"Take this." He spoke with a gruff, raspy voice, "Wrap yourself up tight."
The girl grabbed hold of the hefty cloak, and quickly wrapped it around her naked body, covering herself whilst extinguishing the lingering flames surrounding her damaged body.
Reid looked at the girl sitting in front of him in awe.
The girl's pale porcelain skin was covered in painful blisters, dark redness, and peeling, scorching burns.
The wild fire steadily approached his position, growing in size with every tree that took to the flames.
The grass surrounding the hooves of his mare became sieged by the great fire. The old leather lining on his silver steel chest plate became singed at the tips and edges, snapping loose.
The hairs of his short black scruffy beard lit like candle wicks, burning his face and stinging his cheeks and chin before dousing into a speck of smoke.
"Go on- Get!" he commanded, gently prodding his mare to move.
We will ride north towards Aerendel. Londor Bay was only a short journey from there. She would be safe there, he thought. Londor Bay was a small port settlement with only several resident houses. She would have ample time to recover in his care.