I wake up from a pleasant dream to the smell of burning wood and smoke. I initially think Dad has accidentally burned something in the oven while making a midnight snack, but when I listen and don’t hear the familiar sounds of hooves against wood, I know it’s something else.

    I jump up from bed in a panic, and race for the window! I see the hungry flames licking at the buildings and the grass, devouring all the homes and shops. People are trying to flee, but, I look closer, one falls to the ground, blood pooling beneath them, and there’s an arrow sticking out of their chest. I fling open the door, burning my hand in the process, and race to my family’s rooms. I kick down my sister's door, who was frantically trying to grab everything in reach. I yank her arm and pull her out into the hallway. I don’t know if I should have her come with me or send her out, but I make up my mind quickly. “Run! As fast as you can downstairs! You need to get out of the house!”, she looks confused and scared “WHAT ABOUT YOU?!” her scream is earsplitting “It doesn’t matter! I have to get our parents! Just GO!” I don’t give her time to respond and sprint down the hallway, my hooves barely striking the wooden floor. 

  I get halfway down the hallway when I see my Dad with Mom, who is badly burnt and hanging over his shoulder. She’s barely breathing, and when she does, it’s a violent cough. As I get closer I notice my Dad is limping heavily, leaving a trail of blood behind him on the floor. 

   I run over and give him my arm for support, my mind’s racing, but I know if I try to hurry them, they’ll crumble to the ground and we’ll never get out. We somehow make it down the stairs, and out of the house. My Father carries my Mother out further, and I turn my back and look at our tavern, it’ll never be the same again, that’s if it’s still standing after this. People are screaming and running everywhere, it’s full chaos, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. I turn back around to help my family, but all I see is hoofprints in the charred dirt and blood. My family is gone.

Chapter 3

   I run blindly along the trail of prints, but they’re long gone. I stop suddenly and look around, fire, soldiers, people running in every direction. Everything is falling apart. There are centaurs on the ground with broken legs, not able to move, the fire sprinting towards them. Elves fighting with their bows, many being shot down, fauns desperately trying to run into the cover of the trees, halflings fighting fire with fire. The soldiers are merciless, set on destroying everything in their way, nothing is left intact. 

   I find my ability to move again, and I see my best friend, Demeter, a dapple Andalusian centaur, across the field. Our eyes meet and we run towards each other, glad neither of us are hurt. When we finally close the gap I mount her and she gallops as fast as she can into the cover of the trees. I look back at the carnage and my heart collapses in on itself. I look forward and see the blurry vision of tears, I cry and I cry, and at last, everything goes black as I pass out. 

   When I wake up, I’m laying in the dirt, a tent of sticks and leaves over my head. I sit up and my head spins, leaving me feeling groggy. I notice that, to my side, Demeter lays sleeping. I turn my head from side to side, looking at my surroundings. Demeter traveled a lot with the short burst of energy she had last night. I could still see the smoke in the air, but it was a long way off. I don’t feel good about the distance between us and the village, I turn to my side and shake Demeter, willing her to wake up.

   “Demeter get uuuup.” I whine directly into her ear, she shakes her head when she wakes and gives me the stink-eye, “Really? You couldn’t let me sleep for a minute more? You're like my mom.” she lightly punches me in the arm, but then her face goes dark and devoid of color when she processes the mention of her mother, the mother I presume is gone. I rest my hand on her shoulder,”Hey, do you wanna talk about it?” she jumps up and walks off, wearing a wide, fake smile, “Nope! I’m good, come on, let’s get going!” I can hear how sad she is even through the overly sweet facade of her voice. I dejectedly get up and follow her, wondering what we’re going to eat. Neither of us have food, the village is too far and it’s not an option to go back, and the orchard is definitely burned to the ground. All I hope is that we can find some sort of fruit or fish before we get so hungry we won’t be able to walk. We don’t plan on staying in any one place for too long, at least, that’s what I think.