The flare

The Myth

             "Ezra time for bed."
"But mom I don't want to, I'm not tired." He says yawning as he rubbed his eyes.
She laughed as she grabbed him swiftly in her arms.
"Would you like me to tell you a story?"
Ezra nodded.
Anna, his mother sat against the rocking chair with Ezra close in her arms.
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl that lived among the people..."
*many years ago*
"Aria! Aria! Please can you heal my mother I beg of you! She has caught a nasty fever and hasn't been able to move for days. I'll do anything please,-
Aria approached the cottage where the young ladies mother was and gently took a piece of her flames, placing it gently on the women's forehead. Instead of burning her, it absorbed her power and in the next few minutes she was well.
"Aria! Please I need more customers in my bakery or it'll shut down!"
"Aria! My brother was wounded in battle please heal him or he'll die!"
Aria gently grabbed some of her flames and gently placed them on top of the women's flowers in her shop to bring them back to life.
"Aria.. darling you don't need to use your powers on my flowers like this. You do it everyday it must get tiring."
Aria smiled. "I don't mind. It brings you more customers doesn't it?"
"It does but.-"
"Then that's what matters."
Anna looked down at Ezra noticing his eyes slowly closing. "Come now, get some rest."
She gently laid him in his bed, pulling his blanket close to his chest.
"Mom... where is she now?" He mumbled.
Anna smiled gently caressing his cheek. "The myth states that she lives over the hills in a beautiful crystal cave filled with candles and flames that if you were ever to visit you would hear her dancing with them."
"I hope to search for her one day and make a wish."
"And I'm sure she would grant it. But for now my wish is for you to get some rest."
The following years approached leaving the village people with an awful disease.
They were dying everyday, friends, family, loved ones. And there was no cure.
Ezra's mother eventually caught the disease making her fall ill. She could barely move and hadn't been eating for days.
*whimpering*
It was their dog benji. He curled up near Anna's feet.
*coughing*
Ezra quickly grabbed a damp cloth and placed it gently on her forehead. "I.. I don't know what to do."
Anna smiled as she gently placed her hand on her son's cheek. "You do."
"I don't understand.. there's nothing I can do."
"Y-you have to find... the flare."
"Mom. I'm not going on a wild goose chase for a childhood fantasy that you would tell me to put me to bed." Ezra gently placed the rag back into the bucket squeezing the water back out and placed it back on Anna's forehead once again. "You need to rest. I'll stop by the village and bring us some food on the way back."
Ezra grabbed his coat, placing his hands into his pockets to only find that he had 5 coins left. It would buy them a meal today but what about tomorrow?
He shook his head before going into town.
*barking*
"Benji? What are doing here boy?"
Benji bit down Ezra's coat pulling him a certain way.
"What are you doing?-"
*barking*
Benji turned around and began barking towards a stand with candles.
"Really? You're with her too?"
*barking*
"Well it's not happening."
Ezra approached the small market and went inside to grab something to eat.
"Oh Ezra how is your mother doing?"
He sighed as he approached the register with a small amount of food. "Not good. She stills believes that the flare could make all of this go away."
She gave a sincere smile. "Your mother always had wild dreams didn't she." The lady quickly bagged his items and placed another freebie inside.
"You didn't have to do that...-"
"Don't worry, just take care of your mother. Make sure she eats well."
"Thank you Nova."
Ezra exited immediately glancing at the candles that had caught his attention again.
This time his gaze couldn't look away, it was like he was enhanced by them. As he stared from a distance it was like he could see someone dancing in them.
He shook his head and looked back at them. It was just the wind.
"Mom I'm home. I'm going to have to work all day tomorrow so I'll have Nova come stop by-"
He glanced at his mother on the floor passed out.
"Mom!"
Within a few hours Anna eventually woke up feeling light headed.
Ezra quickly approached with a bowl of soup in his hands. "Drink this."
She glanced at the counter noticing Ezra didn't have any for himself. "Ezra-"
"Please just eat it. I'll work tomorrow to get more for myself."
Anna reluctantly agreed.
"Why don't you believe in the flare anymore?"
Ezra chuckled as he washed the dishes. "I don't know... it just doesn't seem like a wish could make everything go away. And you're not going to convince me to go."
"Ezra. I need you to go."
He glanced at his mother trying to sit up.
"Let me help-"
"No. Ezra I need you to go because I don't want you to see me like this. I need to believe she's out there. And if you can find her all of this could go away."
He shook his head as he watched tears from his mother's stream down her face. "Ezra. I'll be okay. Nova will come to visit. She'll take care of me."
"What if I go and I can't find her? That it really was a myth? You'd.. die."
She smiled. "I would. But I truly believe she's still out there."
Within the following day Ezra grabbed a backpack filled with food and warmth for his travel.
"So your really going huh?" Nova asks.
He nodded.
"Take this for your travel. I'll make sure your mother is well kept."
She handed him a bag filled with food.
"Ezra wait."
Anna slowly got up and approached her son. "There's something I never told you about the flare. And before you leave I must tell you."