16. Cinis

"I'm nothing more than a tool to her," I mutter aloud.

This wasteland is so much colder without her if that even makes sense. I'm a being of glistening fire, as Serena has made a point of reminding me, but I miss how brightly my home world burned.

Compared to this world of ice and frost, elements of nature I didn't know existed prior, my realm feels a lot more welcoming.

And yet how strange is it that I'd rather be in her arms, even if I'm pretty sure by now that she betrayed me.

Deep inside one of the caverns, I've found a hot spring, where I like to contemplate my thoughts. It sits on a mountaintop, far away, and I see faint hints that this cavern was once occupied.

"Months, possibly years back," I remind myself, looking out over the raging river below. I stoke the firepit in front of the cave as I head inside. It burns brilliantly with a simple breath, a raging flame that lay dormant having awakened to see the world's changes.

I need to think. I need to remember.

There's a nest that seems to have once belonged to some giant bird, and among the materials, there are tattered pieces of clothing that might have been a woman's. The hot spring deep inside the cavern almost looks like it was pried open and made accessible, the walls seemingly clawed or mined into.

Suspending myself over the hot spring and letting my flames shoot downward, heating it even further, I meditate and pause to reflect.

The water boils under me as I hover. Water drips from the ceiling around me, and I can see several openings where the cavern opens up into endless tunnels.

I'd like to explore these caverns with Serena someday.

But then I remember that I cannot as I close my eyes.

"I walked away from her. Why did I do that?"

Two days ago, I returned from clearing the third tower, offering plenty of food to the captive prisoners.

TWO DAYS AGO

"Eventually,we'll get you out of here," I tell one of the men, a dark, tall human whose hair is both less tame and much less bright than Serena's. He hunches over like me and smiles less often than Serena does. "We just need to make sure you're going to be safe first."

The humans are huddled together on the first floor of this tower, their eyes faint and dizzy. Buckets of fresh water decorate the gray rock floors, the cells covered in their blood.

"I get it. I figured I was gonna die in these cells. Feels strange that I'm not."

He rasps, producing a loud cough. I always worry when Serena makes that noise.

"Thanks for looking out," the man adds, before taking a bite of the bread I brought him.

I singed it on my way here, and he nearly burns his mouth as he bites into it. But I know he's grateful all the same.

As I watch him though, I can't help but see the taint within his soul. I can see the bright white light coalescing inside him, not as powerful or delectable as an elf's. But it's diseased and rotting.

I'd love to pry him open and just get a little taste of the darkness he's accrued over a lifetime. How long has it been since I've had a good meal?

"You've done terrible things," I observe.

He nods.

"I don't make a secret of it anymore. Part of getting clean is putting everything out in the open."

I crack a fiery smile, a new trick I've learned from my time with Serena.

"Who'd you talk to," he asks. "Was it Jemma? She's always gossiping about things she doesn't understand."

I shake my head

"I can see it."

His brows furrow, his mouth cocking to the side.

"Well, anyway, thanks for saving me from that monster,"

I nod indifferently, realizing that my hunger is too large to be ignored.

"I need to double-check something upstairs," I urge him.

"What is it?" he asks. "You didn't miss anything, did you?"

I note the panic in his eyes. "You're fine. It's a small detail."

Insisting that nobody accompany me for their own safety, I return to the top floors of the tower, gazing over my shoulder.

The room is as bloody as I left it. I didn't leave much opportunity for them to react, cutting through them before they found the opportunity to unmake me, but the lack of resistance was surprising.

While the humans wait downstairs, I pry open a few of the deceased dark elves, devouring their essences. I've denied myself far too long, and I'm hungrier than I ever remember being.

"Delicious, but a little too rich," I note, letting the lights of their souls fill me up.

Lately, it feels like they've been putting up even less of a fight than usual. Almost as though they've given up, or like they want us to evacuate the towers.

Once I've had my fill of energy, I return to the bottom floors of the tower, with newfound motivation and clarity of mind.

"Wait for me at dawn."

I stand before the group of humans, addressing them. I can tell that they aren't used to me - I'm not used to them - but if it proves to Serena that she can trust me, the discomfort is well worth it.

"I'll be back in the morning with more food and water."

And I levitate the buckets behind me, heading back to watch over Serena.

I miss her on these walks. The wind is not great company, nor are the failed lab experiments that roam through the open expanse, terrorizing anybody who would dare cross their paths.

"Someday, I'll help them."

The process by which animals become fused with humans still horrifies me. I vow to myself that there must be a way to undo their magical entanglements.

I'm so tired of putting them down. I can see how much their mere existence hurts Serena.

The hovel beckons me in the distance, snow falling gently over the horizon. My jets light and heat the ground beneath me, sizzling the rocky terrain I float upon. In front of my vision and slightly behind me, trails of steam follow.

I squint.

"What am I looking at?"

A bright blue light hovers in the distance near the hovel. Part of me wants to run to Serena's side as another light appears, but my curiosity wins.

Probably just my imagination.

That's when two dark elves appear in the distance, illuminated in blue.

I dash forward, panicking.

"Stop!"

They walk forward into the home, and as I jet forward, using my flames to propel myself at extra-human speeds, they leave our home, chatting indifferently and laughing about something.

They look up at me, flying toward them, and they point at me.

Then, in a flash of light, they're gone. I don't get a chance to kill them.

I rush forward to Serena's side.

She's still sleeping, completely unaware of what transpired. I can see that her wounds, which once became critical, are now healing over.

Serena just needs her energy.

"What was that?" I wonder aloud, brushing my fiery arm through her golden hair.

Did I just imagine it? Or is there something else going on?

The following day, I bring more food to the towers, looking out at the final towers in the distance.

I know I should liberate them for Serena, but something's been weighing on my mind.

I've never seen her actually harm a dark elf, in all of the time I've stood beside her. She's expressed her animosity toward them on multiple occasions, and she's done significant work in helping the humans.

I shake off the thought as I head home, the skies slightly clearer today. The songs of the winged creatures are beautiful to my ear, their every movement graceful.

There is less snow melting beneath me today.

Then in the distance, near our home, I hear voices.

I know I should sprint forward at even greater speeds, but I'm again tempted by that foul imp called curiosity.

Their voices hit my mind, and my mind translates them into raw thoughts.

"I don't think it's going to be a real threat," one of them says, his intonations naturally lacking the melody I ascribe to Serena. "We've taken care of the issue. Containing the elemental shouldn't be a real problem."

"It's cleared three of our towers," another says. "Tell the dozens of dark elves it's not a real threat. Big, sentient, roaming fire chokes the life out of them, incinerates their flesh, and steals their magic, and you think it's not a threat?"

There's a pause, and two questions reverberate through my mind.

Why are they standing outside our home, not even bothering to threaten Serena? The moment they raise their arms, I'd be dashing to her side, but they seem somehow indifferent to her.

And why are they stopping here specifically? Why, if I'm such a threat to them, are they not doing more to fight back?

"The towers aren't what matters," the first dark elf says. "The elemental's not what matters, nor are those dark elves. In the big picture, they knew what they signed on for. There's a bigger mission at play. We got what we wanted from the girl. Now we can relax. Aldris has what he needs to retake the continent."

They look into the stone house, peeking in on Serena, and they laugh.

My flames burn brighter than ever, and as they increase, they begin to spread.

Several trees burn behind me.

I rush up to the dark elves.

I want them to be afraid, or to run away, but even as they lay eyes upon me, their laughter continues.

I snap both of their necks.