Burning Edge

Akari and Noel set off, the snow stretching out ahead like an endless sea of white. They were apparently supposed to reach a fortress by sunset. When Akari was lost in her thoughts yesterday, she resolved to find a way to return home and become human again. With Noel beside her, she felt less alone, more certain she could face the journey.

Noel walked ahead, cautious and deliberate, his breath steaming in the frigid air. Akari watched him, remembering how yesterday they had played a game of twenty questions to get to know each other. The questions had been shallow, like his favorite food, which was honey cookies. She didn’t dare probe why someone like him had been alone in this harsh place. Noel at least answered on his own volition that he was exiled. The young flame felt they had grown a tiny bit closer.

Another step. Another unusually strong gust of wind. Her flame threatened to sputter by its force, and the gale almost toppled the noble over. She huffed and wrapped herself in the faint heat of her own body, imagining herself curling protectively around him like a fox. She smiled faintly at the thought, though she remained entirely in her small flickering flame form.

“Noel, wait!” she called, floating lightly to his face.

Akari concentrated, imagining warmth flowing from her flame into him, trying to ease the biting cold as best she could. “Do you feel anything?” she asked.

Noel’s eyes widened slightly, and he glanced down at his hands, noticing the faint heat.

His lips twitched - almost a smile. “Thank you.”

That made her chest swell. She flitted ahead, guiding him through a narrow pass as the fortress began to loom in the distance, walls rising against the snowy horizon. The wind shrieked like a banshee, but her flame held steady this time, casting dancing shadows on the jagged ice.

A low, guttural snarl suddenly broke through the gust. They froze. Another one, closer this time.

“Run!” she quietly hissed.

Noel stiffened but shook his head, hand going to the hilt of his sword. “Stay close,” he warned, voice low but firm.

He began to sneak forward slowly at first, each careful step crunching softly in the snow, trying to stay hidden. He paused whenever a shadow shifted, listening for the slightest snarl. The tension mounted with each step, his heart thudding, as the fortress drew slowly nearer. Every brush of her flame against his hands reminded him of the strange heat that seemed to empower him.

Akari’s mind raced, imagining possible paths and how to shield them both. The air was sharp and biting, carrying the scent of ice and something rotten that made her flame flare reflexively. Her form wavered slightly with the effort of guiding Noel and maintaining her own energy. She noted each tree bent by the wind, each patch of ice that could throw them off balance. Her senses sharpened, tracking the sound of approaching claws on snow.

Out of the white haze, a corrupted creature emerged - a hulking shadow, limbs twisted, eyes glowing a sickly green. It charged.

Panic flared and he broke into a desperate run, pushing through the snow toward the fortress as it loomed ever closer.

Akari surged between it and Noel, flames licking the snow, sizzling as they met the icy crust. The monster roared, swiping, but her fire danced just out of reach, drawing its attention.

Noel’s sword alone was useless; the creature’s thickened skin absorbed his strikes. Impulsively, Akari pressed closer, letting her flame fully envelop his sword. Heat surged up his arms. His eyes widened in shock.

His surprise didn't stop him from swinging at the beast. Fire and steel moved in harmony, slicing through the monster’s frozen flesh as though it were paper.

Noel dropped to his knees, panting, face flushed. He stared at his hands and the flaming sword, awe mixed with fear.

The fight continued, monsters snarling and swiping, but from over the ridge, disciplined shouts and coordinated movements came. Soldiers arrived, moving like a well-oiled machine. They cut through the monsters with practiced precision, shields and spears forming walls, axes and swords swinging in deadly arcs. Akari noticed the seamless coordination, their movements fluid and almost instinctive. She followed each twist and turn, noting how they anticipated one another’s strikes. 

One figure stood out, carrying a sword almost as large as his own body, moving with astonishing speed and confidence. Akari’s flickering flames danced over the snow in awe as she watched him clear a path effortlessly, his swings precise, almost like he was dancing.

She found herself instinctively shifting to flank alongside him, feeling the energy in the air as he cut through monsters with a strength and calmness beyond normal soldiers. Every time a monster fell, her flame pulsed brighter, feeding the rhythm of their combined effort.

One of the soldiers called out, “You two! Stay back!” Relief washed over them both as the soldiers moved to intercept the remaining creatures. Akari and Noel watched as their sword was already melted and useless, the heat from her flames consuming it completely. Noel had taken a non-fatal injury from the fight, clutching his side but still standing.

Akari’s tiny flame flared nervously, realizing they would not have survived without these northern soldiers. She felt exhausted, heat flickering weakly, her form beginning to waver. Every movement demanded more of her energy than she had ever used before. Her flicker weakened with every breath, every exertion.

“Akari!” Noel shouted, noticing her flame diminishing, fear in his voice. She struggled to maintain her form, flickering weakly, nearly fading. He moved closer, heart tightening with worry, extending a hand as though to shield her.

Her flame flickered faintly back at his words. He wiped snow and melted metal from his hands, still staring at the lingering flames and the strange figure leading the rescue, awe and concern mixing in equal measure for the small but fierce flame beside him.

Akari took a trembling breath, trying to stabilize herself. The cold pierced through her form, but the heat she shared with Noel seemed to anchor her just enough. She felt her strength waning, her flicker dimming, and the exhaustion settling like a heavy weight. Her form flickered violently, then went still as darkness overtook her. Noel’s steady presence beside her was a lifeline, but even he could only watch in alarm as she lost consciousness.