I sneaked through the Blazing Forest, looking for a campsite. As I eyed a piece of land that seemed good for a camp, I heard howling. My hand shot towards my Shurkien’s handle and I settled into a crouch, my gaze sweeping through the undergrowth. Was it a firewolf?

After briefly examining the area, I started to set up my tent. A breeze sent shivers down my neck. I had a feeling that something was watching me, but after repeatedly examining the nearby bushes, I dismissed the thought.

Just as I began to clear out an area for my tent, I heard flapping behind me. Turning around, I saw a black blur that dived at me from the sky with a screech, drawing bloody gashes on my arm with its talons. I yelled, teetering backwards. It leapt into the air with one powerful bat of its wings, flying up above me, letting out a caw. After recovering from the surprise attack, I got a good look at my enemy.

It was an especially large bird. Its feathers shimmered in shades of inky black, streaked with crimson that glowed like embers in the dim light. It dove at me again, sharp talons extended eagerly. I dropped into a crouch and held my Shurkien in front of me.

The bird flew at me, slamming right into my weapon with a pang. However, it underestimated my weight, slamming into my weapon and doing nothing but dazing itself. I grabbed it and snapped its neck off with a sharp jerk. It was a suitable meal.

After preparing camp and unpacking my sleeping bag, I lay in my tent, tossing and turning. Unable to sleep, I steeled my nerves, reminding myself of my mission.

I am Flint, seventeen Rotations old and the grandson of Vulcan, one of the greatest battle leaders. I am currently a leader-in-training of the Fire tribe, one of the five tribes in Strica, a lush and plentiful land.

For centuries, the five tribes have fought bitterly against each other, shedding blood everywhere and striving to dominate Strica. Countless warriors lost their lives in brutal combat. As lives were given to battle and tribes grew smaller, they fought even more furiously to avenge those deaths.

After a brutal fight against Water where our numbers were nearly cut in half, I dove into our library, seeking out tactics that may have been forgotten over time. I found many different formations people used, but none of them were easy to assemble.

While I flipped through pages, I noticed a book on the corner of a shelf. It stood out, much more worn than its companions next to it. Curious as to what it contained, I pulled it out and flipped through it.

Instead of finding methods of warfare, the book told a story of a man named Narmer. After an extensive period of warfare between two clans, Narmer united them by acting as a mediator, helping the clans find what they had in common and what they both wanted, leading to the prosperity of both, who eventually merged together to form a single civilization, Pangaea.

Though the story wasn’t real, it sparked a thought for me: why couldn’t we do the same? Wouldn’t we all prosper if the five tribes worked together?

Ever since this notion appeared in my head, I thought about it from day to night, disrupting my hunting and training. I became unfocused and careless in my practice fights, and I started to make mistakes that are unbefitting for a future leader. I have been reprimanded multiple times, but never took any warning to heart.

One night, as ridiculous as it sounds, a spirit by the name of Serafina came to me in a dream. She said that to unite the five tribes, I must “collect a shard of each tribe, complete the Star Badge and release the spirits to guide their paths.” She also stated that it was my mission, which I interpreted as having to do it by myself without any help from my tribe.

However vague it was, I did find a map at the side of my bed when I woke up, which led to a place named the Heavenly Pillar. I gasped in surprise as I realized the location where only the leaders of tribes may go to, to ensure the safety of all of us. That time would be a period of peace until the leaders returned. After some brief packing, I rushed out to complete this mission before anyone else discovered my plan and stopped me from pursuing my goal, especially my grandfather, Vulcan.

I jerked awake at the sound of loud howling near my camp. Cursing myself for being careless enough to not thoroughly examine the area before setting up the tent, I hurriedly buckled on my Shurkien’s sheath and prepared to fight. As I climbed out of the tent, heart hammering, I saw not a pack of firewolves, but a single one. At the sight of me, I relaxed, and it padded its way over to me and nuzzled my leg, whining. “Riley!” I exclaimed happily.

When I was a child, I had ventured into the Blazing Forest despite warnings from elders about the potential dangers, hearing a desperate cry by one of many faunae that lived there. The source of the sound was Riley, a firewolf pup back then. He had gotten lost from his pack and clung to the side of a cliff, in danger of falling off to his death on the jagged rocks below. Grabbing him by the scruff, I managed to save him and bring him to safety. After he had recovered, the newly named Riley bit the side of my left hand. I winced but did not withdraw my hand, as a rush of heat flooded inside of my arm, a strange rune being inscribed onto my hand. This feeling was... indescribable, being a mix between adrenaline, pain, and warmth.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Firewolves are captivating creatures, shrouded in mystery and rarely seen in the presence of humans. Their elusive nature adds to that, as they tend to observe us from a distance, melting away with the forest once they intend to leave. However, on very few occasions, they've graced us with their presence, striding alongside us.

A significant bond with a firewolf is symbolized by the reception of a rune, an emblem of great importance. When a firewolf favors someone by gifting them one, it signifies a deep affection and a true friendship. The exact power or purpose of the rune remains a mystery to us. Water has similar marks and can summon beasts at us during a fight, but our honor forbade us from asking them how it is accomplished.

Being chosen by a firewolf and receiving a rune is an extraordinary honor, bestowed upon only a select few. In fact, the mark is so rare that it has been granted to a mere four other people, although similar marks have been observed with other animals native to Fire. It serves as a testament to the special connection and trust that exists between the recipient and the firewolf. Despite Vulcan being cross with me for entering the Forest all alone, he was proud of me for befriending a firewolf, and wished me to unlock the secrets behind this mark.

I sat down, shook off my worries, winced, and Riley hopped into my lap. A raspy tongue dabbed at my cheek. Glad that I had met a friend instead of a foe, I scratched Riley behind his ears, and he made a half growling, half purring noise that I took for satisfaction. I noticed that Riley’s fur became much darker, reaching a deep shade of maroon instead of the bright red it once was, and whenever I looked into his mesmerizing eyes, I felt a pleasant hum in the back of my head. “Riley, you’ve grown so much!” I told him. He yapped in agreement.

With Riley next to me to traverse the land, my confidence and energy grew tenfold. I would often run my fingers through Riley’s fur, loving the way it slid between my fingers. Occasionally, Riley would scratch the ground of the forest with his claws, as if to mark the location of a buried treasure. When I asked him why, he snorted, shook its fur, and sprinted ahead. Laughing at the clear display of annoyance, I chased after him, determined to get a reason for his behavior. This determination soon waned as I received a powerful headbutt that knocked me onto my back. I sighed, figuring that it was something Riley didn’t want to tell me. Firewolves have withheld many secrets from us.

Reaching the end of the Blazing Forest, I prepared to cross into the land of Water. Riley bid me goodbye with a whine and a bark, sliding between the undergrowth like a shadow. Due to the feud between the two tribes, I had to be especially careful. The contrasting elements and temperature could very well kill me. With a deep breath, I stepped into the land my map named Aqua plains. Immediately, a frog spat a mouthful of icy water at me, and I ducked hastily, almost tripping over a rock and dropping my map. The frog then hopped away as if nothing had happened. I stood in place, staring at it with narrowed eyes, before returning my focus to where it should be. After a few more steps, a large rabbit hopped out of a bush and shook itself. Beads of water flew everywhere, inducing a tingle of pain when landing on me. I kept moving, ignoring the small critters. Though the rabbit certainly seemed well-fed and unafraid of me.

Often, I would hear the distant shouts of a band of people. Every time this happened, I would tense, drop down, and pull out my Shurkien. This was a traditional Fire weapon. It resembled a falchion, with star-like blades attached to the edge. It could withstand high temperatures, and my pyrokinesis can heat it up and make the blades rotate, allowing it to shear through light armor and tough hide easily. The rotating blades could be folded in and sheathed using a special sheath made with tough hide. I obtained the skin for my own sheath by killing a large fire salamander laying claim to a sunny boulder, nearly breaking my sword arm while fighting it.

As I trudged over the shore of a creek, some creature emitted a ghastly moan. Startled, I looked around for the source of the sound. The creature then revealed itself with a lazy lunge, a sleek crocodile with two tails. Its color perfectly blended it into the riverside, and I would have stepped onto its head had it not risen. It seemed to have just awoken, and its sleepy attempt at biting me missed, and I leapt back.

Pulling out my Shurkien, I tried to battle this monster. Although not looking like it, the beast had very tough hide, which not even my Shurkien’s spinning blades, enhanced with my pyrokinesis, can pierce. Its tail was especially tough, glinting with a metallic sheen whenever the crocodile swung it, and sparks would fly out whenever it parried my strikes with surprising ease. Soon, I realized that I had no chance at beating this foe.

I charged towards the other end of the creek, hoping to move out of the crocodile’s territory. However, it kept chasing me, regardless of how far away I moved from the creek, and it was equally adept at moving on land, which made it hard for me to retreat. In fact, it continuously gained on me, firing at me with blasts of water. Eventually, the large reptile hit a shot on my back, slamming me onto the ground and knocking the air out of my lungs. It lunged for my leg and sank its fangs into my skin, the icy water beads on it amplifying the pain. I thrashed and flailed, trying to escape the fanged prison to no avail. I screamed with desperation as the beast slowly dragged me under the water, hoping for someone to save me from this disaster.