The flames of the town engulf the night sky. My eyes widened as I stared onto the raging fire, I hear the villagers screaming in agony as the flames engulf them.

"AGHHH! HELP ME PL-" A woman screamed before getting crushed by a wooden beam.

On the outskirts of the village, I see Dravis running towards the stables. I stand up and began running towards him, I yelled at him, "Dravis! Wait fo-" I was cut off as a burning wooden frame fell in front of me.

"Good thing you're still alive!" Dravis yelled at me from the other side of the frame, "You need to find another way through here! Meet me at the northern side of the town!" I nodded.

I ran inside an alleyway and found myself near the tavern, what was a beautiful wooden structure, was now engulfed by flames. I looked towards the northern road of the town and saw the homes of so many burn. I began running towards the northern exit before being cut off by a pile burning debris, "Shit!" I screamed as the flaming debris landed inches away from my feet. I scurried into the alleyway to find another way through. I heard screaming from the burning house near me.

"Anyone please! Help!" I hear the girl scream.

I ran to the source of the screaming, dodging falling debris and jumping through burning houses, once I got close, I see a girl with her leg beneath a wooden beam.

"Help me please!" She looked me, her face full of fear.

"Okay, okay" I said with nervousness, I went close to the beam and started to push it, but it was too heavy. I tried to push it again, hoping that it would budge, but to no avail.

"Shit! It won't budge!" I yelled to the girl, she started to cry.

"Please, don't leave me here, don't let me die!" She exclaimed in fear.

My mind began to race, thoughts begin to swirl around my head, "Do I leave her behind? Do I save her? Do I have enough time? Is there even a way? I can just leave and continue this quest..." As I kept on thinking on what to do, she looked at me straight to my eyes, like she was looking at my soul.

"Please..." she muttered slowly, "Please... help me."

Then I remembered, "The magical spell!" My thoughts said to me, I could use that to save her.

"Just hold on!" She nodded.

I close my eyes and try to remember the words of the spell, then as I open my eyes, I screamed, "AER BRUV!" As if replicating what happened in the bar, the beam and the other flaming debris , flew away and landed somewhere else. I ran towards the girl to help her up.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed in happiness. I help her up but she yelped in pain.

"What's wrong?" I ask her, "My leg... It hurts..." She told me.

"Put your arm around me, so that I can help you move." She puts her arm around me and we began to move.

As we began to move closer towards the northern exit, I see Dravis with two horses waiting for us near the exit, as I start getting close I hear Dravis yell at me, "Who the hell is she?!" I put her on the horse with Dravis, "Questions later! Right now you need to go!" Dravis nodded in agreement.

"Catch up kid! We'll be at edge of the forest to the Vainlands!" The horse began to gallop away.

I mounted the other horse and before leaving I looked around Dun for one last time, what was once my hometown since birth, was now burning to the ground, the bustling noise of the town was now replaced by the raging fire, I then looked towards the road and began galloping towards the forest to the Vainlands.

As I continued to follow the road to the forest, I see a band of black cloaks near the edge of Dun, I stop the horse and tried to see what they were doing,

In the front, the ones nearest to Dun, were casting flame magic, they were wearing black robes and hoods. The ones near the mages, about 10 or 20 of them, were all dressed the same as the mages, only they were all standing there, staring at the fire, like a cult watching a sacrifice, and behind them was one person, riding a black horse, wearing the same thing as the ones with him, but he was wearing a mask underneath his hood, he went near his followers but stopped midway, "What the hell are you doing..." I asked myself, and as if he heard me, he looked straight into my eyes and kept staring at me, I was engulfed by fear and started to gallop away again, but as I looked back the man on the horse went back to his followers and I sigh in relief.

As I got nearer to the forest, I see the horse Dravis went on and the girl was sitting on the horse, Dravis was standing next to it, and signaled me to come closer, I dismounted the horse and began walking towards him.

"Now that we're out of that hell hole, mind answering a question?" He said with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, go ahead." I said with a neutral face.

"Who the hell is this?" Dravis looked at the girl on top of the horse and looked straight back at me, "Your girlfriend?"

"What? No." Dravis laughed.

"You guys done talking there?" The girl asked us, as if she knew we were talking about her.

"Yes... we are." I walked closer to her, "And who are you?" I asked the girl in a calm way.

"Well, um, I am Therese Axenford." She had black long wavy hair, brown eyes and a fit physique.

"Well, Therese, I am Zachary Dren and my friend here is Dravis." I introduced me and Dravis.

"Pleased to meet you two." Therese said, "You too." I replied hastly.

"Now, what will you do?" I asked Therese, "Well, seems like I need to stay with you two, until I get my leg fixed." She said while looking at her broken leg, "I see." I then went to Dravis and told him, "Let's start camp, we'll go tomorrow, but before going we need to go back." Dravis' eyebrows raised, "Go back? Why?" He asked me curiously, "I forgot some things." Dravis nodded and started to set up camp.

I lay down and let out a sigh of relief, I closed my eyes and began to sleep.

---NEXT DAY---

I wake up to see clear skies above me, I stand up to see the wind blow through the grass, birds chirping in the air and the horses walking around the field.

I wake the two up and began to pack the camp up and started to canter towards Dun.

As we get close to Dun, we start too see the burnt grass from the outskirts of Dun, and once we were there, I was shocked.

Everything was gone, there was nothing left except for the ashes of the homes and people.

"This is horrible..." Therese exclaimed with sadness in her voice.

We kept on moving.

As we reached the southern outskirt of Dun, we start to get close to my old home, the ashes were still there, but as we reached it, something from the ashes flew to the top.

Dravis and Therese was surprised at what happened, but I knew who it was, it was Tohor, my red baby dragon, my pet.

"I got everything that I need." I said to them, "Let's go to the Vainlands."

As we started to head for the for the Vainlands, I looked at Dun for one last time, and started gallop towards the Vainlands.

My real journey starts here.