The Campfire

Badurad lay still. He was half dead. The world was spinning and everything was red. Blood covered every inch of his body. He could no longer tell whose blood it was. He lay lifeless upon a pile of monsters. The moon covered his vision. His pupils white with the reflection.

The flames danced. Twirling and crackling. The embers floated to the stars. The sky was crystal clear. Every star was as vibrant and pronounced as the campfire laying before him. It had been a week of toiling and exploring. They had almost finished and had only two boxes left. They hadn't had much trouble, a few goblin camps and wyvern nests. Nothing had pushed badurad as far as to use his Hell Flame. It was late at night and badurad was staring into the mesmerizing dance of the fire. "You really like fire huh?" The question was whispered from the ground. Remy was lying on the floor with slightly frizzy hair and drowsy eyes. "I can't believe you're still up. You need to take better care of yourself y'know?" Badurad looked down at her as she yawned and stretched. "What about you? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Asked badurad. In response Remy's face turned red and she started to pout. "Well that's none of your business at least I have actually slept. My point still stands." She sat up regaining her usual composure and grabbed a cup of milk heating it over the fire. "We don't talk much huh? I wonder why. Maybe it's because you and everyone else have reasons for being friends But we're just some people who met on a quest a few years ago." She sipped her cup. Both of them were looking up towards the sky and the stars shimmering above. It created a vibrant meld of colours in their eyes. "I don't know, usually I don't speak to anyone. Maybe only Hiro and my family. I don't really spark conversations. Maybe that's why. I feel like I don't really know you either, maybe that's why. Like I know Hiro and Koto so well so they feel like family but as you said we've never really talked." Badurad said, still fixated on the stars illuminating the sky. "Well what would you like to know? Hiro talks about you incessantly so I feel like I know you already." said Remy with a timid but clear voice. "Well for starters why did you join the prodigies. Was it for money? Revenge? Power?" Badurad asked, staring into Remy's eyes. The stars are still glimmering in the dark brown. Remy looked down and then up again and then back at badurad.

"Well you see I'm not from Dedenford. I grew up in a village a few kilometers from the city actually. My village was famous for its hunting ability and we obtained everything from the forest. We gave back to making a delicate balance where everyone was a part of the food chain. That's where I learnt to use a bow. I had a happy childhood and grew up in a loving family. I was the youngest and had an older brother. My brother was an amazing hunter and claimed he could kill anything, even a dragon. But there was one thing we were not allowed to hunt. The forest guardian. It was a powerful beast tied to the very forest. We made offerings every week and it granted us protection from droughts and plagues even harsh weather. However every decade we had to offer someone. A girl to the forest guardian. The chief always chose one girl at random and tied them to a tree at it's altar. And one year when I was six, I was offered. So I was tied to a tree by my own parents and left to be eaten or worse.Everyone was fine with it except my brother. He waited for the guardian to come and attempted to kill it. He failed, sending the beast into a frenzy. My entire town was whipped out in the blink of an eye all because of me. I was there for a week waiting and crying. I screamed until my throat bled and cried until I couldn't anymore After a week of looking at my friends dead bodies and staring at my brother's remains. On the third day the chief stured. He crawled to me and told me I was a demon and it was all my fault he grabbed onto my leg and died lying on the floor for four days holding me. Until they came. There was a party of six adventurers who killed the guardian and found me. Their leader took me in and told me to become a prodigy. I wanted to, make no mistake. The life of a knight was not forced on me. I never want to feel the hopelessness I felt that day. I never want anyone to die because of me." The two sat in silence for the next ten minutes. Both staring into their cups in awkward silence. Until finally Badurad spoke. "Remy you never have to worry about that. You're all my family now and I will protect you all if anyone dies it is no one's fault but mine. I will protect you all with my life and everything I have so please do not worry because we are your family and we're not going anywhere." Both of them smiled and stared back up at the stars. Then the sky turned a perfect crimson colour pushing back the shadows and warming the air around them. The rest awoke and disassembled the camp. Gathering their gear they headed off once more.

After an hour they heard a huge sound. It wasn't an exploration or any sudden sound. It was a giant droning like thousands of footsteps echoing throughout the valley. Remy was the first to see them, Then Hiro, Then Koto, then Badurad, Then john. It was an army. It was an army of monsters.