That night, I sharpened my sword, grabbed a torch that lit the halls of the fortress, and ventured out into my favorite spot in the forest. There were always animals in that area.

I waited patiently in the soothing calm of the night, enjoying nature at her best. My ears finally picked up some small movement in a nearby bush. I crept nearer to the area carefully, silently assuring myself that I wouldn't scare the prey. Before it could even sense my presence, I stuck my blade into the creature's gut.

It was now time for my favorite part.

I gathered the dry leaves into a loose pile and lowered the torch. My hands started to shake in excitement as the flames gently touched the leaves and one by one engulfed them, forcing everything in its path to become one with it.

Fire…

It was the only entity in this world that I cared for. I never wanted to leave its radiating warmth…I never wanted to taste the bitter cold of a metal table again. It was a power more alive than any breathing creature. I was in love.

I skinned the creature and sliced open the carcass with ease. As I cooked it over the fire, I found that I would often get distracted watching the blood from the burning flesh drip into the flames, sizzling as it hit the ground. Such carelessness often led to painful burns on my fingers, but it was no matter.

After the meat was thoroughly cooked, I wrapped it in a piece of cloth and prepared myself for training. It was true I'd already had a tiring battle that day, but it wasn't as if I would go back to the fortress to sleep. Sleep seemed less important to me over time. Why should I lie still in a dank chamber when I could be killing something?

I stayed close to the fire I had created as I tested my dexterity on a tall pine. I was improving greatly as I proudly hit my target every time, leaving harsh, jagged marks in the tree's bark.

As the night had grown darker, I had, for the time, reached my limit. My breath was short and my arms were throbbing. I sat near the lingering fire and inhaled deeply as I closed my eyes. The autumn air was cold, but it didn't matter. The fire would protect me.

After a few moments of peace with the flames, I knew that morning would come soon. I grabbed my sword and the meat I had cooked, ready to return to the fortress. I was about to blanket the fire with water, when suddenly I realized something.

I couldn't do it. How could I undo fire? At the time it simply didn't seem logical. I stood silent for a moment, watching the dying flame bleed into embers. It saddened me somehow…

"No…" I told myself.

"Let it burn."

I returned to the fortress and left the meat wrapped in cloth in front of Gatti's door. I knocked twice and quickly returned to my chamber. I wasn't all that hungry anyway.

I knew of the battles that went on. I'd heard stories from the soldiers whom once guarded the fortress. I didn't know specifically what we were fighting or why, aside from what Gatti had told me about Basram, but the city was practically emptied of soldiers. I hadn't even seen much of the armored man whose presence rarely left the fortress. It was only the sick, the elderly, the women, and the children who lingered in the city, accompanied by a few guards and soldiers.

Gatti found me cleaning my sword in one of the weaponry rooms. Most of those rooms had windows, and provided a small amount of fresh air. However, today's air seemed gray and smelled of smoke. I enjoyed it.

"Lord Dilandau, I came to tell you how grateful I am for the food you left for me."

I continued cleaning the blood from my sword, never looking at him.

"From now on, you'll find your own food." I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.

"But I can't leave the fortress, Lord Dilandau. I can barely leave my chamber." A negative attitude was not something I was prepared to tolerate.

"You can. They're just trying to intimidate you. You think they'd kill you with such a severe lack of soldiers right now? If anyone tries to stop you from leaving, tell them that you have my permission to do so."

Gatti obviously had trouble adapting to this concept.

"…You have that kind of authority here, Lord Dilandau?"

I paused for a moment and stood.

"They are afraid of me, Gatti. In the past year I've defeated many just like myself. They would never tell me, but I know I've excelled past everything they could hope for. I've earned authority."

I grabbed a sword from the weapon rack and threw it to Gatti.

"I'll do as I please."

I walked passed him and lead him to the exit.

"I'm going to show you where to find food, and you will never bother me with this matter again, understood?"

He nodded submissively and followed me outside into the twilight, where we could see a large black cloud hanging above my forest in the distance.