The Flame of Life

I raise my bow and arrow as bright red eyes stare back at me in the darkness. A heartbeat later, a second pair of red eyes stare back, and then a third. Leaves rustle on my right, followed by the soft patter of footsteps, slicing through the deafening silence. A shiver slivers down my spine.

"We need to get out of here, now," my friend Theo whispers.

"We are too deep in the woods. They'll outrun us before we get to the border," I whisper back.

A sharp pain shoots up my shoulders, making me wince. My eyes dart back to the set of bloody eyes, inching closer. Hissing sounds grow louder with each second.

"You got your machetes?" I ask. The sound of metal scraping fills the air as he draws out his blades. Branches crackle 10 paces away from us. My fingers cramp as I grip the bow and pinch the string. "You take the one on the right. I'll take the one on the left," I say. "What about the middle one?" Before I could answer, the eyes lunged towards us. Their growls ripple in the air.

I sink to the ground and shoot at a set of eyes. Blades whip the air as Theo lashes the creature, over and over. The creature howls in pain as I draw my second arrow, panting. Where did the third one go?

Hissing sounds emerge from behind. I whip my head around and meet bright red eyes five feet away. My body freezes. The creature lets out a loud growl as it lunges towards me. I release the arrow, and it stabs in the center of the eyes. Theo grunts as he slashes at the creature repeatedly. The creatures let out a whimper, their eyes flickering before letting the darkness consume them.

"Are you okay?" Theo breathes.

"Yeah. I think so."

"Are they all dead?"

My eyes scan the area. The red eyes have vanished, silence.

---

Birds caw and chirp as we make our way back to the gray lands. After passing through dozens of trees, we finally leave the forest. Our black leather boots meet the stone floor. The moonlight illuminates the dark gray land with white light. Crystals glimmer throughout the land, welcoming us back. I must steady myself every couple of steps so as not to tip over as the wood digs into my shoulder blades. Theo walks beside me, carrying 3 animal corpses of creatures I had never seen before.

Splotches of blue stain his clothes, and a couple of droplets on his face. They had dark blue scales all around them, dark skin traveling between the scales. They had the bodies of serpents, their tails bouncing as Theo walked.

The woods contain the mother of all resources. Things like food, water, and wood are essential resources because of the curse that was put on my people after we had lost The Shadow War. The price for losing is a curse of eternal darkness on our land. This curse prevented us from ever seeing the light of day again. It also prevented us from ever going past the woods. The woods were so large that one would get lost if you weren't mindful of where you were going. Tree trunks stood everywhere, all seemingly identical.

Darkness became a normal thing for my people. Fire is our main source of light. It was also the one thing that allowed us to heat food, and make tools and weapons. Going through the woods was always a risk as you were practically walking into the world of blackness. The border between the stone ground and the dirt ground that led into the woods was like entering a portal of nothingness. Not even the moonlight could save you from the creatures that lingered in the dark. While the woods have many animals that are just as dangerous in the light as they are in the dark, some creatures should've never been allowed to roam the woods or the outside world. Some say that during the times of light, a group of scavengers decided to dig in unknown lands, hoping to find treasures as they were running low on jewels. After digging so much, they reached a pit of darkness, where creatures quickly flew out and attacked them, ripping them to shreds. Over time, more and more creatures began to crawl out of the opening and enter our world. A portal between our world and the underworld.

There are shape-shifters, creatures who appear as smaller and less intimidating to lure in their prey. Once they get close enough, they zap you in a trance and squeeze your limbs with their iron grip until you lose consciousness. After you pass out, they slowly peel off your skin, rip out your organs, and then leave the bones as a warning to any visitors. They usually lurk deep in the woods, waiting for their next victims. Only certain people are granted the privilege to walk within the woods and come out alive.

Moments later, we are greeted by tiny balls of light floating around, a beacon of our town. The cool breeze brushes my skin as we make our way toward the tall, dark walls of our settlement. The walls are of dark, gritty stone. They stand 12 feet tall. Tall pillars blend in at the corners, and pointy black crowns rest on the top of them. Fire bleeds through the openings. At the entrance stands an 8-foot door with metal bars. Several men stand on guard on the sides, hands on their swords, eyeing us as we approach.

Two men raise the handle at the side and pull the door open. Creaking sounds emerge as one of the commanders stands in the doorway. He wears black leather with black boots." Welcome back! Seeing as though you're both still in one piece means the supply run was successful," the corner of his lips twitched up. "Yeah. Got in a bit of trouble wi--" I jab his arm with my elbow. "Everything was just fine. If you'll excuse us, we have to get to the council." The man's eyes narrowed. "Of course." he guides his arm out towards the town. Meteorious. The town of stone and fire.

Most of the homes and monuments are of stone, as it is the one material that doesn't catch on fire. Our town uses torches as a way to get around and illuminate the streets. Bands of lanterns hang above us as we walk through the gray pathway. Clanks of metal are heard on our sides as we pass through blacksmiths. The scent of bread and cinnamon dances around the air. We go up some stone steps and make our way towards the council's tower. When we first arrived on this land, that was the only building that stood in, the center of the land. It had always been here. Its grainy dark stone walls, Females hanging on the sides of the smooth stone door. It was as smooth as glass. A symbol of flame is carved in the stone, symbolizing that despite all the darkness that surrounds us, we still keep living. That flame must never go out. We knock on the door and a figure with a black robe cracks the door open. His hood conceals his face, as well as his arms, revealing only his bony fingers.

He directs his attention to Theo and then me before widening the door. The smell of smoke lingers in the air as flames flicker on the torches hanging across the walls. A spiral staircase of dark stone circles around and around above us, every couple of steps illuminated with a flame. The tower is silent, excluding the crackling of fire as we go up the tower, the hooded figure tailing us.

We reach a dark smooth door and the hooded man knocks a series of taps and the door swings out slowly. Bright yellow light leaks from the room and voices murmuring come to a halt. The hooded man stands on the left side as we walk inside. A black stone aisle stretches along the horizon as 4 people sit on the sides, 4 of their backs facing me. A man leaning at the end of the table directs his attention to us.

"What have you gathered?" a deep voice asks.

"I was able to gather some more wood. Upon leaving, we were attacked by 3 creatures with red eyes." Theo slides his pack off, revealing the corpses. The man's eyes linger on the creatures, his face as stone. "Alright. Place the wood with the rest of the pile. Ariel?" One of the women at the table cocks her head at her name. "Take these corpses and see what you can do with them." She nods, grabs the bag, slides it around her back, and disappears into a room on the far right side.

"You are both free to leave." The man says. We make our way down the stairs, and the whistling wind lingers. The scent of smoked pork dances around, the wind brushing against my face. My stomach rumbles in response.

"I'm so hungry. Want to go to the bread house and get something to eat?" I nod in agreement, and we make our way towards a small stone structure. The windows are two square holes, and beige sheets flutter within them. A dark door stands wide open, and chatter and laughter come from inside. As I step in, the scent of coffee and sugar smacks my face. A woman traces back and forth behind the counter, handing people their plates and mugs. Her brown hair is tied up in a low bun, and her brows have harsh black lines. A smile spreads across her face when her eyes meet mine. She waves a hand as she says, "Good afternoon, Owen. Theo. How was the mission?"

"It went well. I'm starved."

"Me too," Theo says.

"What would the hunters of Meteorious like?" she says, raising her chin with a smile. "I'll take some of your sweet bread and a glass of some of your finest wine," I say.

"And, I'll have the same."

"Coming right up. There's an empty table in the back corner."

I slid into a thin gray chair. Theo claims the one across from mine. Simmering from the stove behind the counter fills the air, and clanks of glasses sound near us. I can't help but think about those creatures that we found in the woods. The way their eyes glowed. The only indication of their presence. The way their scales gleamed as the surrounding flames shined upon them. It resembled a serpent, but it had black thin thorns sticking out of its tail. The plates clank on the table, snapping me out of thought.

"Two orders of wine and sweet bread." one of the waitresses says. "Thank you," I say. "It smells delicious," Theo says, flashing a smile. "Well, enjoy." The waitress says before walking away.

I gulp down my wine as Theo wolves down his small loaf of bread, devouring it as if it will vanish if he stops. I pick small pieces of my bread and munch on them. The tiny particles of powdered sugar tingle on my tongue as the bread diminishes. Theo downs his wine, before falling back into his chair, letting out a sigh. I snort and finish the rest of my bread. As I take a sip of my drink, I notice drops of sweat slide down Theo's face, his face leeching of color. I incline my head towards him. Are you okay? "Fine. I probably just ate too fast." He says wiping away the sweat with the heel of his palm. I pluck the last piece of bread from my plate and wipe my lips with a napkin. Theo stands, steadying himself with a hand on the chair, letting out a deep breath. "Are you sure you're alright?" I say. He nodded and that was that. We make our way out of the breadhouse and towards our settlement. Theo stumbles a couple of steps toward the front door.

"Hey," I say, looking at Theo as his arm wraps around his abdomen, eyes peering to the floor. He frowns. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'll feel better tomorrow." He takes a step forward and nearly falls forward. I slide an arm under his, guiding him through the doorway, inside our settlement. Every hunter shares a settlement with another hunter. I guide him towards the bed in the back right corner of the room. He plops on the bed, and a hiss escapes through his teeth.

I dip the shiny metal pitcher and water pours itself into a small gray cup. "Here," I say, cup raised above him. His eyes dart towards the cup. He lets out a wince as he lifts himself, gulping down the water. His arm drops to the side, his fingers loosen and the cup falls to the ground. He drifts into sleep. I twist towards my bed on the left side and plop on it. My muscles ache as my body hits the rough cloth with gray splotches. Beds are made out of fused stone, cushioned by a single layer of cloth. I let out a breath before letting darkness take over. 

---

Heavy breathing yanks me out of the darkness. I open my eyes to the blurred world, and blobs of orange light flicker across me. I whip my head towards my left and my throat dries at what I see. Theo lays in a fetal position, pitcher resting beside him. Heavy breaths emerge from him, his hair drenched in sweat. His voice is hoarse as he murmurs, "Water... I need water." He lets out a dry cough, his fingers sprawled on the ground. My hand reaches for the pitcher, empty.

I grab Theo's bag, digging around, and find a small stone bottle. I shake and hear some water swoosh on the sides. I pluck the cap off and set the spout on his lips. He gulps down the water and lets out a rough breath. "More." he breathes.

"We're all out. I drank the rest of mine on the way home." He scowls as the red liquid begins to slide from the sides of his eyes. Blood. I recoil, taking a step back, my heart thundering. What's wrong with him? He reaches a hand towards me, his eyes growing in redness, more leaking from his ears. My eyes widen as I clench my shirt and bury my face into it, hand already on the knob. I yank on the door, nearly ripping it off its hinges as I rush out of the settlement.

"Owen," Theo calls out, but I ignore it. I sprint through the streets, crowds of people flooding around. Air burns my throat with each breath, willing my legs to go faster, towards the council's tower. I lift a fist to knock, but it swings wide open, and the hooded figure steps to the side. I charge up the steps, and the wind whistles around me as I reach the top. I yank the door open, and the 8 members of the council sit around the table. One of the men's heads turns to me. "What is it?" his voice sounding flat. "Something's wrong with Theo." I breathed. "He's bleeding from his eyes and ears." The member's eyes widen synchronously. The man pushes from the armrests of his chair to stand. As if on cue the door from the left side blasts open, a woman's face twisted in pain or anguish, I couldn't tell busts through. The corners of her eyes leak with blood. Red stained her shaking hands in front of her face. She lets out a whimper, knees buckle, causing her to drop. One female from the table takes a step toward the infected woman. "What have you done?" The man lets out a breath.

His face had gone pale, a palm resting on his mouth. A puddle of blood slides around the woman, her body lays still as utter silence fills the air. We should've never brought those creatures with us.