Chapter Six

Fiorei and ember were sitting on their animals, Ember a small, black dragon, Fiorei a red drake. They were listening to their instructor for their first official hunt. Nabarmena had been notified about a few bandits in the area, and they were using them to try to attempt to take over their camp by killing as little of them as possible. They all split up to find the camp and were given flares to signal when they found it, using a rune making it almost invisible except for if you had the rune painted on you. Ember decided to go north, to one of the mountains. Near her, she heard rustling and drew her bow in an instant. From the bush, emerged a harmless bunny, and she put away her bow.

As she kept walking, she heard talking coming in the direction ahead of her. She walked behind a tree, and peered from behind it and saw bandits by the base of the mountain talking to each other. Behind them, she saw a path going up to the summit, and presumably their camp. She then drew her bow as Nadred snuck around the trees to get behind them. As her arrow flew, Nadred pounced on the other bandit. The arrow bolted out of her bow and hit the man in his leg, making him scream out in pain. She then switched out her bow for her swords and attacked. He didn’t put up much of a fight, but Ember did receive a few beatings. She had him on the ground and bashed him on the head with the hilt of her sword to knock him out.

She then turned to Nadred but noticed that the man had a horn to his mouth. “NO!!!!” She screamed. But it was too late. Soon enough, ten more people had come into the clearing, surrounding them entirely. Nadred roared as both of them lunged towards their enemies. Ember let her instincts take over in her attempt to take out her foes. Next to her, Nadred reared up, swiping bandits with his tail, and clawing at them with his talons, but then Ember heard the sound of a sword cutting deeply through soft flesh. Her head turned to see Nadred’s lifeless body in a pool of blood that still flowed out of the dragon. Her eyes went wide with fear and anger. Time seemed to freeze the image of the demon from the tree flashed into her sight, a small shard of the memory that haunted her, and then the village came to life in her mind, then grew into a vision.

“Mom! Look at me!! I can do a cartwheel!!!” She giggled with a beaming smile plastered on her face.

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“Good job Ember!” Her mother exclaimed. “You are so talented!” Ember’s smile grew even larger. Suddenly, they heard screams in terror. “MONSTERS!!!!!!!”

Ember’s father came out. “We have to leave.” He said urgently.”We should leave for Nabarmena.”

Ember at the time was confused. “It isn’t time for school though…” She said, tilting her head at her parents. A fire began to emerge into view on the other side of town.

“Get everything important. Herlot and Amere are on the other side of town already, we can pick them up on the way.” Her father ordered. He picked up Ember and put her on his hip. She was clinging to him, never wanting to let go. Her mother ran out of their home carrying a backpack, and they then ran to the west side of the village, but they were stopped by a group of monsters. Her father then put down Ember and said, “I will distract them. Get away from here, and head for Nabarmena.”

They then ran from the horrifying monsters and her father being torn to shreds. They soon reached the square where her brother and sister were meant to be. All they found were monsters tearing them limb from limb. Ember now began to realize that she was in danger. She then began to run, her mother beginning to fall behind. She ran past so many streets, seeing monsters being slain, and humans being eaten alive. She then heard the high pitched scream of her mother coming from behind her. Her chest was open, her heart missing. Magic was used to get rid of her heart. “MOM!!!!!

The memory faded, and time began again. A strong pulse of magic was pushed out from her. Her eyes glowing. She sensed the figures behind her once again, but this time, they did not disappear. They stayed with her. Against these foes, her sword became one with her body, twirling and dodging through the numerous attacks. Her mind was full of anger and soon she found every enemy lying on the ground, dead. She sunk to her knees and cried. She couldn’t find any joy inside her soul to make her happy. She cried until she had no tears left, as she felt the pain of losing her first friend in over eight years.

After a few minutes, she stood up and travelled up the mountain. She thought about shooting her flare, but she was too angry to think straight. She walked up that mountain and took over the bandit camp. The only difference is that no blood was shed. None other than the cuts that riddled her body. She then shot the flare and left. She left that place behind, angry, and hurt. She wouldn’t recover, her pain cutting too deep. The hate burning too brightly in her soul.