Fire And Water
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The first thing I noticed was the smell. It wasn’t a bad smell, but it certainly didn’t belong in this place. The second thing that struck me about my new home was its inhabitants: they all had red eyes and long black hair—the same as mine!
They seemed to be staring at each other with great interest; some of them even touched their noses together. When one of them saw me looking around, she pointed her finger toward herself and said something quietly to another woman who nodded vigorously before turning back to look at everyone else again.
Everyone started talking excitedly among themselves then, pointing out things like “Look there!” or “There’s more than just us here.” Then someone called for quiet so he could speak up. He sounded angry when he did, which made sense since his voice echoed through the whole room.
“We have been waiting for you,” he told me. His words came from everywhere and nowhere simultaneously, making him sound very mysterious indeed. But what really caught my attention was how he pronounced “you”—it reminded me of the way people talked on TV shows where everything is always happening somewhere far away.
You know, those kinds of places? Like Hawaii or Paris or New York City? Anyway, after hearing him say “You,” I felt sure that whatever happened next would change my life forever. So much depended upon it…
I looked down at myself and realized that I’d changed into a different person entirely. My skin now glowed pale blue instead of brown, and my hair had turned white. That meant only one thing: I must be dead! No wonder these strange women kept touching their noses together.
Maybe they thought we were twins separated by death. Or maybe they wanted to make sure none of our souls got lost along the way. Whatever the case might be, I decided right then and there not to let anything happen to either one of us. We needed to stick close together if we ever hoped to get back home alive.
That’s why I followed the man who spoke to me until he led me outside. There, standing beside an old oak tree, I found a large group of people dressed exactly like me. Some of them wore dark green robes while others sported bright yellow ones.
A few of the men stood taller than most of the rest, and several carried swords strapped across their backs. One of the tallest men walked over to stand directly in front of me. As soon as he took off his hood, I recognized him immediately. It was the leader of the Red Robes, the man whose name I couldn’t remember anymore. He smiled broadly at me, showing rows of perfectly straight teeth.
“Welcome, child,” he said. “It has been many years since any of us last saw your kind. Have you come to join us?”
He asked me this question without taking his eyes off me once during the entire time it took him to walk over. This was because he knew full well that no matter what answer I gave, he wouldn’t believe me anyway. After all, I was dead, and therefore incapable of lying. Still, I answered truthfully nonetheless.
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “But don’t worry. I’m not going to stay here forever. Once I’ve learned enough magic, I’ll go back home.”
My reply surprised him, causing him to frown slightly. However, he quickly regained his composure and continued speaking. “Do you mean to tell me that you are already able to use the powers of the gods?” he asked.
I nodded eagerly, unable to contain my excitement at having finally met someone who understood me. “Oh yes, sir. In fact, I can do almost anything except fly. And even though flying isn’t easy, I think I will master it eventually too. What about you? Can you still control fire and water as easily as you used to?”
His smile disappeared instantly. “No longer,” he responded curtly. “And neither can anyone else. All of us have suffered greatly since the day the gods left us behind.”
As he finished speaking, he glanced briefly at the sky above us. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of light pass overhead, followed closely by another. These two flashes grew larger and brighter, growing closer together until they merged into one enormous ball of brilliant white-hot flame.
The heat was intense, and the air itself began to burn. At the same moment, the ground beneath my feet shook violently, sending me stumbling forward. Before I could recover, however, the earth opened up and swallowed me whole.
***
The world inside the hole was hot and dry, and filled with a stench so foul that I gagged on it immediately. When I tried to turn around, I discovered that I couldn’t move at all—not even my head. I struggled against the invisible bonds holding me prisoner but to no avail. I wasn’t alone, either; other people were trapped just like me.
They lay motionless, staring blankly ahead as if nothing mattered anymore. Their faces were covered in sweat, and some of them appeared to be bleeding from various parts of their bodies. Others had wounds that hadn’t yet healed. Yet despite all of this, nobody seemed particularly concerned. Instead, they simply sat quietly, waiting for whatever would happen next.
At first glance, I assumed these people to be prisoners. But when I noticed the symbols carved onto their foreheads, I realized something very important: these weren’t ordinary criminals. These were priests, members of the Order of the Blue Robe.
Like me, they’d been captured by the gods themselves. So how did such a terrible fate fall upon us? How could we possibly deserve to suffer this much pain? If only I had the answers to those questions, I would gladly give everything I owned to know the truth. Unfortunately, I didn’t, which meant there was little point in asking.
After what felt like hours, the walls surrounding our prison suddenly started moving. Slowly at first, then more rapidly, they rose higher and higher until they reached the ceiling. Then, after passing through the roof, they vanished altogether, leaving us completely exposed to the blazing sun.
We remained silent throughout this process, afraid to make any noise lest the gods hear us and punish us further. Finally, the wall stopped rising, and the heat became unbearable. My skin burned under its touch, and I longed to take cover somewhere far away where the temperature was bearable.
A voice called out to me, breaking the silence. “You’re awake! Good!”
Startled, I turned toward the source of the sound. Standing right before I was a woman wearing a blue robe identical to mine. She looked familiar somehow, although I couldn’t quite place her face or figure in my mind. Nevertheless, she was clearly a member of the Order of the Blue Robe.
As soon as I recognized her, I remembered why I knew her name. It was Sister Alina, the leader of the order’s branch in Kothas. Although I’d never actually spoken to her myself, I often heard stories about her exploits while I was alive. Apparently, she was an extremely skilled warrior, capable of defeating countless enemies singlehandedly. Of course, none of the tales ever mentioned exactly how strong she really was. That is, until now.
“Sister Alina…” I said hesitantly, trying to remember whether I should address her formally or informally. “How…how are you doing?”
She smiled gently. “It has been many years since we last spoke. You must forgive me for not recognizing your voice immediately. Please allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Sister Alina, the leader of the Order of the Blue Robe. Pleased to meet you.”
I bowed respectfully. “Thank you for saving me,” I replied, feeling awkward because I still couldn’t recall her face. “But please don’t tell me you came here to rescue me again. There’s no way I’ll let you go back empty-handed.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you sure? Because if I’m going to save you, I need to bring along a few things. Would you prefer gold coins, gems, or weapons?”
My heart skipped a beat. This was the first time I’d seen Sister Alina outside of battle mode, and I found myself captivated by her beauty. Her hair was tied up behind her head, revealing her slender neck and delicate shoulders.
And though I couldn’t see it directly, I imagined that she wore a sleeveless tunic underneath her robes, exposing her arms and chest. In fact, I thought I caught sight of a hint of cleavage between the folds of cloth. To say that I was surprised would have been putting it mildly.
After all, I had spent most of my life training to become stronger than anyone else in the world. The idea of being overpowered by someone who was weaker than me was unthinkable. Even so, I forced myself to remain calm. I needed to keep my wits about me. Otherwise, I might end up saying something stupid.
“No, thank you,” I answered carefully. “All I want is to get out of here. Take anything you like, but leave me out of it. I’ve already lost too much blood today.”
Alina nodded silently, then walked over to one side of the hole and began rummaging through a pile of rubble. A moment later, she returned with several objects clutched tightly in her hands. They appeared to be some sort of jewelry made from precious metals and gemstones.
“Here you are. Now, do you think you can climb down on your own?”
The jewels glittered brightly against the sunlight, reflecting the light into the air like tiny stars. I stared at them intently, wondering what kind of treasures they represented. Perhaps they were proof of the strength of the person who owned them.
Or perhaps they held the power to grant wishes. Whatever their purpose, I could only imagine how valuable they must have been. But even if these items did possess magical powers, there was nothing I wanted more than to escape this hellhole. So, despite my desire to take everything in sight, I decided to accept the offer.
“Very well. Let’s begin.”
With that, Alina handed me a small leather bag filled with golden coins. I took hold of the rope dangling from the top of the opening, then slowly lowered myself down. Once I reached the bottom, I untied the knot around my waist and tossed the sack aside.
Then I picked up the sword lying next to me and placed its hilt firmly in my hand. Next, I grabbed the shield resting nearby and strapped it onto my arm. Finally, I stood up straight and faced Sister Alina.
“Now, where shall we start our journey?”
***
After leaving the cave, I followed Alina southward across the desert. We traveled without speaking for hours, passing numerous oases and other settlements along the way. At each stop, I tried to learn as much as possible about the people living within those communities—their customs, traditions, and beliefs.
Unfortunately, however, I learned very little. Most of the villagers seemed uninterested in talking to strangers, and none of them offered any useful information regarding the history of their land or the nature of the monsters lurking beyond the horizon. It wasn’t long before I realized that I wouldn’t find answers among the locals. Instead, I turned my attention toward the surrounding landscape.
As far as I could tell, the area consisted mostly of sand dunes and rocky hills. Occasionally, I spotted clusters of trees growing near the waterholes, which suggested that the region received regular rainfall during certain seasons. However, I didn’t spot a single mountain anywhere close by.
That meant that the creatures roaming the wilderness probably belonged to a different species entirely. If so, then maybe the people of this land weren’t affected by the curse after all. As such, I resolved to focus my efforts on finding a cure rather than searching for an antidote.
It was late afternoon when we finally arrived at the edge of a large forest. The sun hung low above us, casting deep shadows beneath the towering pines. Though the sky remained clear, I sensed that nightfall was imminent. Still, I knew better than to rush forward blindly.
With my limited knowledge of the local terrain, I doubted that I could survive another encounter with the beasts prowling the woods. Therefore, I chose to wait until morning before continuing onward.
That evening, Alina set up camp beside a small stream running off the river. She built a fire using dry wood gathered from the ground, then prepared dinner while I watched from afar. When the meal was ready, she invited me to join her. For once, I accepted the invitation without hesitation.
There was no telling whether the food would taste good, but I figured that it was worth trying just to satisfy my curiosity. Besides, I hadn’t eaten since noon yesterday; therefore, hunger alone compelled me to eat whatever Alina served.
We sat cross-legged on the grassy bank, watching the flames dance in front of our faces. After taking a bite of bread, cheese, and dried meat, I asked Alina why she had chosen to become a nun.
“I suppose you’re referring to the fact that I’m not human? Well, I don’t really know what else to say. My parents died when I was young, and I grew up in an orphanage. One day, a group of nuns came to visit. They told me that they’d found a place for orphans like me, somewhere far away from the city. And so, here I am.”
She paused briefly, staring into the distance. “But enough talk about the past. What brings you to the convent?”
“A man named Sigmund brought me here,” I replied.
“Sigmund… You mean the priest who lives in the village of Einzig, right?”
“Yes. He said he needed help protecting his daughter from a monster known as the Dark Lord.”
Alina frowned slightly, as though she couldn’t quite believe what I’d just revealed. But there was nothing more I could do except continue explaining the events leading up to my arrival. So I did exactly that: how I met Sigmund, the creature’s appearance, and everything that happened afterward. By the time I finished recounting the story, both of us were sitting silently, lost in thought.
Finally, Alina spoke again. “So, are you saying that the Dark Lord is real?”
“Of course! How can you even ask that question? Didn’t you see him yourself?”
“No…” Her voice trailed off. Then, she shook her head slowly. “…but I’ve heard stories about something called ‘the Dark Lord.’ People claim that he lurks in the forests outside the town, waiting to devour anyone foolish enough to venture too deep inside its borders.
Apparently, he has terrible powers, including the ability to turn humans into stone statues. Yet despite these frightening abilities, nobody ever managed to kill him. In fact, most of the townsfolk have given up hope of doing so.
Some say that the Dark Lord will never be defeated because he’s immortal. Others insist that the only way to defeat him is to bring back someone who used to live here many years ago—a girl whose name was Alina.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“The legend says that if the Dark Lord meets Alina, he’ll die instantly. Of course, no one knows where she went or why she left in the first place. Perhaps she ran away from home, perhaps she fell victim to some horrible tragedy. Regardless, everyone agrees that she must still exist somewhere out there, hidden among the ruins.”
“And yet, you haven’t tried looking for her?”
“Not until now. Until today, I assumed that the Dark Lord wasn’t actually real. Now, however, I think I might need your help.”
“Why?”
“Because I suspect that the Dark Lord isn’t the only thing lurking around here. Something else is hunting me as well.”
“You mean the beastmen?”
“Exactly!” I exclaimed. “They attacked me earlier this afternoon. If I hadn’t been able to escape, I wouldn’t be alive to tell you all of this.”
“Beastmen?” Alina repeated. “Are they dangerous creatures? Are they capable of killing people?”
“Well, yes and no. It depends on their level of training. Most of them aren’t very strong, but there are exceptions. The ones I fought earlier seemed pretty powerful, although I didn’t get a chance to find out for sure.”
“Then we should go after them immediately. We may not be able to beat them, but at least we can try.”
“Wait a minute. Why are you suddenly so eager to fight?”
“It’s simple. Beastmen killed my father. That means they deserve to pay with their own blood.”
“Your father…? Wait, you said that the Dark Lord turned you into a statue. Did the beastmen attack you before that?”
“Yes, they did. A few days ago, I saw an army of beastmen marching toward the city gates. When I got close enough to hear what they were saying, it became clear that they intended to destroy the entire settlement.
At first, I thought they would simply march through without stopping, but then I noticed that several men had already set fire to the houses along the outskirts of town. As soon as I realized what was happening, I rushed over to warn Father. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, the soldiers had surrounded the church. There was nowhere I could run to save myself.”
The End