Prologue- The Burning

The sky burned a bright crimson red, a sign that day was breaking. And that once again night was upon

them and the bell that set panic up the cities citizens rang.''They know'' He thought to himself, as he

watched the gate to the city rise. The knights with their torches ready to search for him him rushed

out. Determined they seemed, with their armored horses and swords on their backs. All seeming

unnecessary since he was just one man. Then the earth shook violently, as lightning flashed in the sky

above him. ''Oh no'' he cried. And then the flames began, arching above the trees with a very familiar

glow, stretching as far as his eyes could see. The light floated in the sky like millions of little fire flies

brilliant, yet horrifying. He ran as fast as his feet would let him, ignoring the fire that was burning his

skin and the smoke that was engulfing his lungs. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heart

beat, beating in his ears and all around him. Filtering the horror with his frenzied thoughts, thoughts of

his lover and their unborn child. He had promised her a new life and a new home, but those promises

were beginning to crumble like the trees around him. And all that remained was ashes, and their bitter

taste stained his tongue. The memories flashed in his mind, reminding him of all the times she had

warned him of what could happen. Of what the others finding out about their love could do, especially

to her. And he had ignored her warnings once again, falling back into her arms, and he regretted it

wholeheartedly. They had committed the ultimate sin, him loving a god and she loving a mortal.

Blasphemy in the others eyes and punishable by death. But, still a flicker of hope flashed in his mind,

and as quickly as it came it went. Woodpecker Peak was burning, and everyone with it. Thousands laid

in the street, black as coal and burnt to a crisp. The burnt smell filled his nostrils, making his stomach

turn. As tears welled up in his eyes, guilt threatened to consume him causing him to fall over. 'This is

all my fault' he sobbed to himself, watching as his village went down in flames. For a while

he wondered if he should lie there and wait, or if he should run back to the city and accept what ever

punishment awaited him. But he knew it would not be swift, they were going to make him suffer, and

as of now he was okay with that. And after they were done they'd make it as if he never existed, and he

was okay with that too. He would rather not exist at all then to never hold her, to never feel the joy

that she brought him. To never feel the rush that came over him when they were together in secret, to never

get high off her kisses and lost in her scent. And if they were to ask him why, he would simply answer

with why does a man drink water even though he knows it's tainted? Or why does the deer eat berries

even though it does not know whether they are poisoned? It's because life is a curious thing and he

was a curious man. In a world full of mysteries ruled by power hungry gods, she was the only one who

dared be benevolent. Who shaped her people and him into her own image, and shared the knowledge

the others would deprive them of. The knowledge of love and how humans can go way beyond just

conceiving and that conception was not shameful, but an art. That compassion was the root of human

souls and that should give until they had nothing left, that they should walk in the shoes of the lesser

to truly know their pain. Pain of order. To have to wake up everyday and work until your bones turned

to dust. To be treated as if you meant nothing, and for what?The entertainment of corrupt gods. But

most of all she taught them how to find their selves, and she never once made them feel inferior. They

were all equal and for that he loved her, and because of that he decided to get off his knees and push

through the corpses. That flicker of hope now returning to him and giving him strength, as he began

to run through the a flamed forest once again. He was determined to reach the place he had once called

home, their home.