Blue Flame

Generation after generation, this flame has been passed down. And now it was in mine, a peasant's possession. The generation was dead—the whole family line, taken down in one go. How they managed to do it, I don’t know. What they wanted from it, I don’t know. Who ‘they’ are, I don’t know either. All I knew was that the flame in my hands was my responsibility. I had to keep it alight.

So, I hold my spear tight. Eyes watching for even the smallest sign of danger. My heart pounded in my ears, and I wished it to stop. The cold wind swirled around me, yet not touching me. Only faint whispers of it brushed against my skin. Yet I knew it was stronger than the flame let on due to the violent whooshing that reached my ears.

I could still remember her face. She hadn’t been a part of the generation, god no, but she had the flame in possession. They came for her. She didn’t survive that night. Instead, she handed it to me and warned me to be careful, saying she trusted me, even though I had been a complete stranger passing by. She died right after, collapsing at my feet.

I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a sin to betray a dying woman’s trust. So I hid the flame and ran home. I packed my things before leaving in the dead of night. I couldn’t let my family suffer any consequences for the mess I was in.

The bushes rustled behind me. My instinct told me that it hadn’t been the wind that caused it.

I turned in the direction of the noise. The flame’s dull blue light did nothing to calm my buzzing nerves. I gripped the weapon so tight my fingers ached, and my hands turned red. Despite the cold, sweat formed under my hair. I didn’t want to acknowledge it, but I knew I was shaking with fear.

Slivers of silver shimmered and gleamed, peaking out from the dark. Then, a wolf stepped out. Its fur the color of moonlight and as soft as the snow beneath my bare feet. Its cold, ice-blue stared into my own, devoid of any emotion.

I thrust my spear forward as to scare it away, but it was left unimpressed by my actions. Instead, the wolf sat down and continued staring at me.

“I won’t hurt you.”

The spear in my hand dropped to the ground. I had heard her– the wolf. Her voice was clear as day. But her mouth hadn’t moved. Not an inch.

Regaining my senses, I quickly picked up the spear and pointed it at her.

“What do you want?!” I yelled, not sure my voice would be clear against the loud wind.

“You know very well what I want, young one.” Her voice said. “The flame.”

“Are you the one who killed the generation?!”

The wolf lowered her head, slowly shaking it.

“Why do you want the flame?!”

“Look around you, young one. What do you see?”

I looked around. There was nothing but a frozen wasteland. It was how it had always been. It was the world I had been born into and raised in. And though I couldn’t see past a 15-foot radius, I knew my town was less than a mile away.

As if reading my mind, I heard her voice again, “It wasn’t always like this.”

My spear moved into a less defensive position, now standing upright. “Really?”

“Yes. Once, there used to be luscious green fields, flowing waterfalls, and beautiful canyons. Now, there is nothing but snowy plains, frozen falls, and glaciers.”

“What happened?”

“Allow me to show you,” she spoke, this time her mouth moving. “Allow me into your mind and show you firsthand.”

Immediately, I moved and pointed the spear once more. “And what of the flame?” I asked, slightly cocking my head.

“I promise that it will remain in your custody. I won’t touch it.”

Despite my mind's protests, my heart trusted her. I put the spear down and nodded.

A sharp pain rang through my skull, and I thought I had made a mistake. She had broken my trust and had probably run away with the flame by now. It was a stupid mistake. I had been given one task and had failed. It wasn’t long before I was overcome with darkness.

I woke up. The hard ground beneath my feet. Oddly, it wasn’t cold. In front of me was the wolf.

“You! I trusted you!”

“Hush, young one. Watch.”

Slowly, she led me to a room. It was a mix of dull red and grey. Inside was a huge, oval-shaped table. People formed into the seats of the table out of thin air. Not one glance was cast at us. We were invisible.

“Not invisible, just not there.” The wolf corrected.

I focused my attention back on the group of people at the table.

“We must acquire the blue flame!” One shouted, rising from his seat and slamming his hands on the table.

“I agree, Reginald, but we have to be smart about this.” Another man said.

“I will have the flame by tonight. The rest of you lot can try whatever plan you like.”

The image changed, and the next thing you know, it’s late night. Smoke engulfed me, filling my lungs and making it hard to breathe. I looked around, and my vision blurred. Shouts and shrieks rang through the air, and all I could see were gray and red blobs. I felt around and grabbed the first weapon I could find, which happened to be a spear.

Suddenly, my vision cleared, and the smoke parted to reveal Reginald, dagger in hand. He raised it high, focusing on the wolf below him. The wolf wearing the flame in the lantern around his neck. Then he struck, and the wolf collapsed, clear blood pouring out. He grabbed the lantern and the flame and held it high.

I was pulled back as the smoke gathered, blocking him from view.

I woke up and looked around. The wolf kept her word as the heat of the flame resonated beside me, my spear on the other side. I didn’t grab the spear or the flame. I stood up and looked her in the eye. My heart pounded against my chest as I searched her eyes for any sign that what I had seen was fake. All I found was a distant pain.

“How do I know that was real?” I asked.

“You don’t.”

The pain in her eyes grew, and so did the pain in my chest. I picked up the lantern, flame resting inside, and held it out to her. She looked at me in complete and absolute shock. Quickly overcoming it, she gave a grateful nod and held the handle between her teeth.

I watched her figure as it retreated into the darkness from which it had come.

I nodded back.