A Match from Brimstone

Far up in the heavens a massive storm brews as eruptions of purple lightning and waves of shadow clash. The rain pours as if intending to flood the world below, the sound of crying and screaming barely breaks through the never ending thunder. Suddenly a ball of flame forms at the center of the storm and it plummets down to the earth and upon colliding, everything goes black.

Deep within the darkness a young woman’s voice speaks to herself “ I am like a match. There are better more reliable tools that can do what I can do, yet I stand the test of time. You can find me in your kitchen drawer, in the back pocket of the pants you wear occasionally, included in your camping gear, or heck maybe in the shoe of a dedicated smoker who for some reason thinks lighting a cigarette with a match is cooler than a lighter.”

“I can do some cool things, I make some people happy, in fact you could say at times I can be pretty useful. But I’m not essential, you can live without me, in fact I can be discarded too. I break easily, I won’t work if conditions aren’t right, and there are many others that can do what I can do but more easily, or they can handle things I couldn’t and still work.”

“But like a match, with me, you get one shot and the moment is pure light and it’s my light. I can make a fire as great if not better than others but in any given moment you only get one shot. But you know…….. a match can dream to be more than that. Maybe rather than being remembered for the fires I make, or the moments I actually worked, maybe just maybe, I can just be remembered for being me. A match can dream, can’t it?”

The fire ball flies through the night sky and comes into view of a large city with massive skyscrapers surrounded by a sprawl of drab concrete before crashing down at the very edge of this bastion of humanity. 

Welcome to Perilous Mines a developing City in the southern edge of the Armageddonian Desert. Founded by the Pinnacle, an alliance between four Wealthy families: the Ublikas, the Colemans, the Oswalds, and the Shens. Respectively they control the main industries that put Perilous Mines on the map: Rare mineral Mining, Geothermal Power generation, and Magitec which utilizes resources from the other two industries to produce everything from magic weaponry and golem armies, to advanced body implements and artificial spell generators.

Unless you are part of the pinnacle let’s just say life in Perilous Mines can be……. well…. perilous. Especially if you are without parents and somehow end up in the sketchiest part of town known as the crevice. 

The crevice is essentially the armpit of the armpit of the world, a safe house for the grimiest and lowest rejects you can imagine. Yet, in the dead of night a fiery eyed toddler with ashen hair has somehow spawned in the trenches of this paradise for pirates. 

She cautiously scanned her surroundings, toddled forward a few steps, and searched again. “Mommy!?” She cried out into the silent twilight. Her eyes animated with excitement when she saw someone but then realized it was her own reflection on a mirror that someone had leaned against an old run down shop. Disappointed she mumbled to herself and continued her exploration in the dingy streets until suddenly a large rough hand clawed out from behind covering the girl’s entire face. She fought and screamed but was easily overpowered and the girl passed out in terror.

Everything was black, the girl could hear several voices having a conversation that alternated from soft chatter to sudden outbursts but the smell is what really got her to wake up. Meat, potatoes, all the delicious savory herbs to make a stew worth facing the unknown for. 

When she opened her eyes she realized she was in a soft bed under a blanket in a candle lit room. About 8 feet across from her was a dining table with 4 adults sitting and eating. A short bald man who looked like he was literally wearing a bunch of dirty rags sown together, a burly but kind of fat hairy man wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, a very tall skinny man with long dirty blonde hair and a narrow face that was sat facing the girl but for the moment was occupied with his stew, and last a woman with short purple spiked hair and a rather curvaceous body that was very much exposed by her revealing clothing although her skin was covered in many brands and tattoos.  Together it seemed like an all too intimidating group for a little three year old to suddenly end up being captured by. 

The girl is startled by a door abruptly swinging open as a tall dark skinned man with long braided hair walks in who exclaims: One of you ought to wake up that girl and make sure she eats! We may be trash but we ain’t scum! Duke, your fat ass better make sure there is enough for her. The hairy man in jeans replies: “no sweat Jamal, she is a tiny one, probably don’t eat much, plus a kids gotta get their rest or whatever.” The woman then speaks out saying “ I’m surprised you took in the lil chick Jamal, what’s the deal?” The tall man with braided hair exhaled and said “ you know damn well what kind of sickos are out there Minnie, and you also know I’m not the charitable type by a long shot, but ugh ….. I don’t know, my gut was telling me to bring her back.”

The tall man suddenly interrupted: “Jamal, she’s awake, and she’s scared too.” 

The girl tensed up and shut her eyes as tight as she possibly could until she could hear the creaking of floor boards right next to her. Knowing one of the strangers was standing over her she could only think of one thing to do. She gathered all her courage together and suddenly sprung up out of the sheets and yelled “SURPRISE!!!!!” As she clapped her hands together as hard as she could causing a bright spark that set both her small hands on fire.

Jamal jumped back in shock, and when what he was looking at fully registered in his mind, his face stretched into a narrow grin and he declared: “Brimstones! It seems our guest here has a gift. Hey little one, no need to be afraid, I know we probably look kind of scary to a tyke like you but ya see, we’re a happy family here. Do you have a family little girl?”

The girl just stood still, unresponsive to Jamal’s question. Jamal then touched her hand with one finger and pulled back in pain as the fire was indeed burning hot. “Ow! Little girl, that fire you make…… it doesn’t hurt you?” This time the girl responded by shaking her head left to right indicating “no”. “Well, that’s quite special, and you see… us brimstones I’d like to consider to be special in our own unique ways. What I’m getting at girl is that I think with your gift, maybe, if you want since it seems you’re a bit lost, you could be one of us. We can work together and be a big happy family, what do you say? The girl stared intently at the man and instinctively knew he was truly a dangerous person, but she also realized saying no might make him angry and so she cautiously nodded her head “yes”. 

“Good! So ugh little girl…… you got a name?” The girl knew her name was Baila Rosa but not much else about her self, it was all a blur, but for some reason she felt it would not be a good idea to say her name, so she simply shrugged her shoulders. Jamal laughed and replied, well that’s a shame, a little fire starter who barely can squeak out a word and doesn’t know her name…. Jeeez….. guess we ought to give you a name right?” The bald man called out “How about Rachel!?” The woman named Minnie sneered in response “ shhhh get the hell out of here Rags isn’t that the name of your favorite billboard broad?” Duke, the heavyset man then butted in saying “ should call her Charity since she is gonna be drain on our wallet….” Jamal then reacted with a sharp glare and then said “ I have an idea, such a small thing that can make fire, just like a little match, from now on you’ll be called Match of the Brimstone gang. What do you think?”

The girl made a small smile and nodded a clear yes. Thus begins the tale of the legendary Match from Brimstone a flame that came down from the heavens  who is now a member of the notorious Brimstone Gang.