Playing With Fire

“What’s the date today?” I ask Indigo, tapping my foot against the rubble. 

“Hm?” He sharpens his dagger against a rock, his right eye darting around the camp. 

“The date.”

“Uh...147 seilus since it started. Can’t tell you more than that.”

I sigh, wiping the sweat from my brow. 

Only 147?

It feels like much longer. Every day is just a mess of smoke, fire, and pain. Every day we march closer to our inevitable death.

Though death would be a relief these days.

“How’s your eye?”

He shrugs, throwing the rock somewhere far-off. He was hit yesterday, right in the face. There’s a scar running down his eye now, and it hurts to look at. Must hurt for him too. My palm stings from where he pushed me when the medics took him away. I’m wearing gloves to ignore it.

It isn’t working very well, and I keep clenching and unclenching my fists. Hopefully, Indigo doesn’t notice. 

Belting the dagger, Indigo walks over to me. 

“Are you ready for today?” 

I click my tongue and stare at the sky, tainted in oranges and purples. Maybe it would be beautiful. Maybe I would admire it. If only you couldn’t see the smoke in the distance, the rucksack tents and buildings reduced to nothing but ashes. 

“Sure. As ready as I’ll ever be, at least.”

He nods in understanding, running a hand through his hair. I use the string tied at my wrist to pull my short hair into a ponytail and walk to my small bag, filled with the little belongings I could keep. 

It’s just an extra pair of shoes, an old English book, and a dead flower. Nothing inherently special. 

Our small troop’s leader, an annoying eighteen-year-old, walks over to us, her bag slung over her back and her hair up in a messy bun. Her green eyes are cold and focused on the distance.

“Ready to move?”

I pick up my bag and nod and Indigo.

“Ready?” He nods too and I nod towards Angel, our leader.

“Good. Let’s go.”

That should give you an estimate of how strong our troop is. A bossy eighteen-year-old, tall fifteen-year-old, and slightly smart fourteen-year-old- that is, me. There are only three of us, but we’re lucky to have each other at all. Lots of people have been forced to go it alone. Giri’s a small place, so there’s barely anyone left to team up with, especially with what’s going on. 

Basically our ‘strategy plan’ is to keep moving forward. We run into the opposing side? We fight. Not really a stellar plan, but the planet is taken over. There’s nowhere to hide. At this point, we’re waiting for another planet to step in. Maybe Coria. Earth would be ideal, but that’s wishful thinking.

We walk. 

There’s no destination, no path.

We just walk forward. 

The sun beats down on us hard, and sweat is basically like a second coat of skin at this point. I keep my eyes down on the ground as we walk, lest I catch some of the smoke in them. 

Stupid wizards with their fire. 

What’s the point of war anyway? Lost lives on both sides. Ruin. A practically destroyed planet. What’s in it for anyone?

Sure someone’s going to win at some point, but at what cost?

Footstep after footstep, breath after breath, ashes after ashes. 

Indigo taps me on the shoulder and I look up, wincing at his eye.

“What is it?” 

He motions with his arms at the sky and I follow his gaze. 

Sunset. They happen after really long intervals of time so it’s always cool when you don’t miss it. I watch as the orange and purple fade into lighter pinks and yellows, the sun falling below the horizon. Of course, there’s still enough light to see. It’s rarely ever dark here. I hear on Earth it’s different. Maybe I’ll see Earth one day. 

I nudge Indigo in the shoulder as Angel grunts at us to keep walking.

“Thanks.”

He smiles, nudging me back. 

“Yeah.”

I stare at his scar for a second before turning away. 

“Can you see?”

“Hm?”

“From the eye.”

He breaks eye contact, walking slightly ahead. 

“Yeah, of course.”

That brings a sigh of relief out of me. He’s always valued sight. In war? You take every small advantage you can get, and that includes seeing your opponent. 

Angel abruptly stops walking, and I bump into her back. 

“What the-”

She holds out a hand to stop me. 

“Shhh.”

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“There’s fresh smoke here.” Indigo manages to speak before her. I look up at him.

“What- No guys come on…” I take a deep breath myself, and it tickles my throat, coaxing a small cough out of me. “Oh. Oh no…” I feel Indigo hold my hand and squeeze it.

“Your skin just got fifty shades lighter, are you alright?” It feels like he’s talking through a thick haze. My mind is just a swirl of dizziness and my arms sting. They burn. 

“I-I-'' I get out short gasps of breath, squeezing my eyes tight. Black spots dot my vision when I open them again. I feel someone roughly shake my shoulders. 

I try and focus on something- the bright green eyes staring into mine, the sky, even the small wisp of smoke I see in the distance-

But it’s no use.

***

I wake up coughing, my head pounding. 

I’m on the ground, and it takes a few moments to register my surroundings. We’re- meaning Angel, Indigo, and I- behind a large rock, and I can tell we’ve ventured somehow closer to the smoke. 

I can faintly remember something happening, but it’s just a blur.

“What happened?” I get out in between coughs and Indigo rushes over to me, pressing his hand on my forehead. I try and push it away but I’m struck with another coughing fit.

“You fainted.” He creases his brows.

“I...what? How long?”

Angel huffs, shaking her head.

“Don’t be overdramatic. It was just a couple minutes, and we dragged you here because of the nearing smoke.”

“Feels like you took me closer to the smoke, but alright.”

“How are you feeling?” Indigo hands me a water skin and I take it, gulping down a couple swings before shrugging.

“Like I’m in the middle of a war.”

He takes the water back from me and takes a drink himself. I stare at the small wisps of smoke in the distance- the distance that’s too close for comfort. 

“I’m going to scout the area. Don’t move. Don’t be loud. Don’t follow me. If I don’t come back in five lirines, then hide out here for the night. Got it?”

Angel doesn’t wait for a reply as she turns away, but Indigo grabs her arm. 

“Where are you going?”

She roughly pulls her arm back. 

“I think there are wizards nearby. I just want to check. Everything’s going to be fine. Keep her safe, and make sure she’s strong enough to walk once I come back. We need to keep moving.” 

He nods, and this time, lets her leave.

I rub my eyes and clear my throat, trying to get the constant taste of fire out. 

“Need anything?” Indigo slides down next to me, and I shake my head. 

“Just because Angel tells you to ‘take care of me’ it doesn’t mean you have to act like my mom.”

He laughs, bringing his knees to his chest. 

“I don’t care for you because Angel tells me to,” he says, elbowing me. I rub my side and roll my eyes at him, staring at his good eye. 

“Then why? I can take care of myself you know.”

He pats me on the shoulder. 

“I know. I just worry.” 

I tilt my head to the side. 

“You worry? Look who’s talking mister ‘I can do it, don't worry, stay behind’ and then gets a scar on his eye!”

He holds his face in his hands and groans.

“Don’t get me started with scars! You just heal faster but that doesn’t mean I don't worry!”

I cross my arms and stare up at the sky.

“Whatever.”

He laughs again, leaning back against the rock.

“What happened? Before? Why’d you faint?”

I clear my throat.

“I passed out because…” I try and think back before remembering, the smoke tasting sour as ever on my tongue. “I don’t know, I guess I was just scared that we were nearing smoke, that’s all.” I rub my arms with my gloved hands, shivering as I remember the burns.

Indigo stares at my arms and I sigh. “What?”

“I’ve noticed that whenever you talk about smoke or something, you rub your arms. Before you fainted you were whispering that they burned. You know, come to think of it, I’ve never seen you wear short sleeves, even though it’s always burning hot around he-”

“There’s nothing wrong with my arms.” I blurt out, wincing at my own tone. 

Indigo narrows his eyes. “Okay…”

“There’s nothing.” I clarify, almost to myself. 

I’m not lying. 

There’s nothing wrong.

At least there’s nothing wrong now. 

Like Indigo said.

I heal fast. 

***

My hair sticks to my neck with sweat. Whatever happened to my string?

Whatever. It doesn’t matter. 

I hug my bag to my chest and breathe as quietly as I can, but it’s hard when my whole being is laced with terror. 

Indigo’s hand squeezes my elbow and I don’t move. I dart my eyes from my right to left side. 

Angel. Indigo. Back again. 

Angel’s clutching something small in her hand. A ball? It’s black. 

Sweat runs down my back and I want to wipe it. I just want water. 

My throat itches at the thought and I hold my breath. Can’t cough now. 

Energy cracks in the air and I shut my eyes tight, counting down the seconds. 

Five...Four...Come on…

Something sharp is touched to my neck and I gasp, looking up.

The wizards. They’ve found us.

***

“Filthy Girians.” The wizard says, dusting off his pants. I keep my eyes on his shoes, trying to calm my breathing, trying to ignore the burning pain in my neck. 

They have power over all the elements. 

Why does fire seem to be the only one they use? 

His stick is pushed into my neck again and I wince. 

“Well, darling, I think you’ve noticed that fire makes the most delicious damage, no?”

He drags the wand down the full length of my neck before walking away again, into some dark corner of wherever he’s brought us. We’re shackled to a wall, with maybe a couple millimeters of movement allowed, if we strain against the metal, that is.

Something clinks and I move my eyes to where Indigo sits a little far from me. 

I can’t remember much after the fire, but I know Indigo probably tried to protect me. 

Classic Indigo, always trying to get himself killed. 

I take a few breaths, relishing in the fact that the smoke isn’t so thick here. A sickening sound makes its way to my ears from where the wizard stands, and suddenly the smoke is back. I curl my nose in disgust. 

“Don’t like that smell, do we?”

“Leave her alone.” Indigo snarls, his voice slightly muffled as he spits out some sort of cloth that was probably shoved into his mouth.

“Oh? What’s this?” The wizard walks over to Indigo, kneeling down. 

I don’t want to look., but my eyes stay glued. 

“You heard me.” Indigo’s stare is unmoving. 

The wizard waves his hands to both sides of Indigo’s face before laughing. 

“How lovely. Blind in one eye. I’d like to personally congratulate whoever did that, it’s well done.” He runs a hand over Indigo’s scar and that’s when I finally look away. Indigo doesn’t deserve that. 

He said he could see. 

Something hits me in the thigh and my eyes dart down. 

A small stick. I look to where it came from.

Angel. 

The cloth in her mouth is thicker, probably harder to spit out. 

Did she fight for me too?

Doubtful, but whatever. 

She nods to it, her eyes widening. The wizard doesn't notice, busy back to whatever he was doing before. 

It takes me a second to realize what she wants me to do. What she wants me to try to do at least. 

Girians can alter the elements too, but with much more effort. 

Well...either this or get burned to death, right?

I inch my feet to the stick, and drag it towards me. 

If I move...just...one…

Got it. 

I hold it between my pointer and middle finger, just barely. 

Now...If I can remember any of my elemental classes…

This wand is much smaller than I’m used to. Which makes sense cause it’s been thrown to the side. 

I run my finger over its ridges and focus on the smoke smell from before. The burn on my neck. And finally, the helplessness of now. Fire...come on… The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and for a second, everything goes completely cold. I shiver as a normal feeling is returned to my body, but then the worst thing happens. 

The stick clatters to the floor. 

The wizard gasps. 

I think we’ve been caught until I see why he’s gasping. Orange and red flames lick at his tables, burning the walls around to a crisp. They slowly fall to reveal the sky, like curtains falling back to show a performance, but the only performance is sweet freedom. 

“You, how did you-” His words are swallowed as he falls back into flames. The shackles on my wrists fall, burnt black. I roll my eyes as the last image of the wizard fades. 

Before you think I’m heartless, he isn’t dead. Wizards can control elements effortlessly. Which means they can very much become the elements. 

The flames fall around us, leaving ashes and that sickening smell of smoke. Indigo tackles me with a hug.

“I’m going to kill you. Why would you do that!” He holds me by the shoulders. 

“It wasn’t that bad!”

“Right! Your hair was floating, your eyes were white, and you practically looked possessed! ‘Wasn’t that bad!' WASN’T THAT BAD!” I push his arms off. 

“You are totally overdramatizing it. Angel, tell him he’s overdramatizing it.” Angel rips the cloth from her mouth and sighs, walking over to me. 

“For once, he’s not. How’d you do that? That was pretty cool. Keep the stick. We might need it.”

I shrug and pocket the stick. 

“Where to next?” I ask Angel as we leave the debris behind. 

“Eh. Forward.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, staring at the sky. 

Yes, we’re still marching to our inevitable death. But maybe, with one sweet victory on our record, it’ll be a little less bitter.