Avery dropped her load of wood into the fire pit as Strike wrapped up her story. The sky was beginning to glow pink and purple as the sun set, and the fire was casting eerie shadows across Strike's face.

“The princess couldn't help her blood lust, she stabbed the servant boy in the back, and even to this day, she roams the world... looking for her next victim!” Strike emphasized her point with a dramatic hand motion, which caused a satisfactory gasp from Marcelline. “Now, is there any questions?”

“Just one,” Jade said, nodding her head. “is that a fairy tale from the world you come from?”

Avery looked at Strike appraisingly as she took her seat next to her sister. Strike was from a world where the people control lightening, and the girl herself was woefully devoid of any such abilities. Her hair was black and frayed by the constant fires it underwent when she was back in her own world. But just now, she wasn't in her own world. All of them were out of their own worlds.

Jade and Avery were sisters, who had walked through a dimensional rip, and suddenly found themselves walking through a grassy field instead of across cobbled stones. When they looked around, they found that they were not the only ones who had done so. A small variety of people had walked off their planets. Those who had stuck around were Avery, Jade, Strike and Marcelline, who Avery was quite sure was a vampire.

“Yep, that story is from my people. That all?”

The gathering gave a general head-nod.

“Is it my turn now then?” Avery leaned forward, ready to go.

The crowd gave another nod of assent.

“Lets see now... That one should do it. It's a legend from my world. In fact, I'm quite sure it's a true story. Once upon a time, there was a mage. He wasn't just any mage, he was a mage who was born with elemental powers, meaning, he had limited control of one element. His element, was fire. This was a burden upon him-”

“Wait, wait!” Strike interrupted, waving her hand in the air. “What is a mage?”

“A mage...” Avery pondered the question for a moment. “A mage is a a magic wielder who communicates with the earth and draws his power from it. Normally they have to go through extensive training to become full mages, but this one was just very gifted.”

“Alright.”

“So, the mage was plagued by his gifts. He loved plants, he loved animals, he loved life. He was the complete opposite of your princess in fact. He grew his own vegetable garden, and took in stray animals. Then, his element showed its self. He couldn't control it! It spewed out at the most inopportune moments, such as when he was watering his plants, or feeding his animals. He had numerous close calls.”

Jade leaned back and stared out at the sunset, having herd this story before.

“At this point the mage was young, and his parents were doing everything they could think of to help him. They tried everything from wrapping his arms in wet towels to finding him a master of the fire element to help him learn to control it. But it was all for naught, he simply couldn't control it! And one day, the flame went completely out of control, and burnt his home until there was nothing left of it. His family was left with nothing. He knew very well that it was all his fault, so he made his decision. He would have to leave home.

“So, heavily laden with supplies from a loving family, our young mage set out for the rocky hills of the Eastern Boarder. He chose this place because everything was made out of rock, and was therefore non-flammable. There was nothing for him to damage, but also nothing for him to eat or drink. He struggled, day after day, unable to find water in the desert, and unwilling to go hunting for his love of animals. He tried his best to conserve the food and water that his family had provided for him, but that in turn caught fire as well. Life was hard for him then, but during those long days in the hot desert sun, he learned...”

“Hang on, speaking of fires ours is gettin' low. I'm gonna go get some wood,” Striek interrupted.

“All right, we'll continue when you get back.” Avery stoked the fire for a few minutes then laid back until Strike returned with a bundle of sticks.

“I'm back!” Strike called. “Hey, where's Marcelline?”

“Hmm? I don't know.” Avery looked around, just realizing the vampire was gone.

“I sure hope the princess doesn't get her.”

“Your fantasy princess is tooootally going to take down a vamp. Get real.”

At that moment Marcelline came walking back into the camp with a rabbit swinging in her hand.

“Woot, chow time!” Avery took the sticks from Strike and fed them into the fire. “Now, shall I continue with my story?”

“Wait, we're eating rabbit?” Strike asked, looking genuinely concerned.

“Ya, apparently. Have you ever had it? It's better than venison,” Avery replied.

“Um, no, it's just... My mom used to... Continue with the story please!”

Avery considered her for a moment, then began the story again. “Okay, where was I? Oh, yes. The mage learned. He learned about himself and his power.”

“I can get something else if you want,” Marcelline said to Strike.

“I wanna hear the story!”

“I'm TELLIN' the story! Hold your horses!” Avery continued, slightly ruffled. “He learned he could make his flame change color and hotness, and that if he let the flames out in large bursts a few times a day, he wouldn't have smaller bursts.”

Strike and Marcelline had a brief skirmish over weather the rabbit was done. Avery ignored them.

“But while he was learning so much, he was running out of water, and fast. He was soon in a state of delirium from the dehydration. He lie on the ground watching the sky, images swirling in his mind, flame all around him. The sky was turning magenta as the sun went down, and soon he was in a world lit only by the flames that began pouring out of him as he lost control of them.”

“Sounds like my kind of place,” Strike whispered to Jade, who had just re-joined them after filler her water canteen.

“His life flashed before his eyes. His parents, his siblings, the animals and the home that he had burnt down. He saw things moving in the dark, closing in around him. Come to claim his body back to the earth. As he closed his eyes, he saw something else coming at him. Something large, something that was breathing fire. He thought to himself, "my spirit guide has come to take me to the next life. How befitting it should be a dragon." But it was not his spirit guide.”

Avery's audience leaned in.

“It beat great wings, wings that reflected the colors of the dancing flames, and the flames around the young mage began to die away. He felt better. The dark shapes were receding. The smoke was dying away, and his head cleared with it. Soon, all the flame was gone, and the desert was lit only by the moon and the stars.

“The young mage sat up, his head clear and throat no longer parched and he looked to his savior in the semi-darkness. For the first time in his life, he was standing before a dragon, and it before him.

“He stood. The Dragon reached his head closer, and the mage realized what had called the rare mythical beast. The dragon had seen his flame. This dragon had recognized the mage as it's kin!
They stayed for a moment looking each other in the eyes. Then, the young mage profited his hand, and filled it with a glow of flame. The dragon reached his great front claw out, and the two shook hands, the beginning of an everlasting companionship. To this day, if you journey far enough into the Death Frontier, you will see the dancing flames of the now old mage, and his best friend.” Avery finished her story with a bow. Strike and Marcelline clapped, but Jade just yawned and stretched. Avery decided it was time for bed.
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