The Last Campfire

My Journey Begins...

The Wanderer's POV:

So this is where the embers go for hope, huh? My eyes wander around the place as I paddle behind my 3 buds. "Paddle faster red-head!" said one ember. I turn back to the front to find my 3 friends paddling ahead without me. I tell them to wait up but they're too fast. I hear the sound of a horn being blown in the distance then a sound of what seems to be something ancient opening. I try to paddle faster but I was too intrigued within the area around me, it was peaceful... I was then greeted with a bird sitting on the edge of my boat, I stared at it. It stared at me back. It was silent. Suddenly the bird jumped up and started flying towards my face. I yelped from the sudden action and dropped my paddle. My ONLY paddle.

I tried to paddle with my hands but it was hopeless. My paddle was stuck between the rocks, I figured if I jumped out of the boat I could get it back but... Us embers don't know how to swim. We never knew it was just a thing that everyone had, I still remember the last time I tried swimming on my own to prove us embers can learn how to swim. Oh on how that ended... My own father drowned because of my foolishness. I'm so sorry father, it should've been me.

I didn't even notice how fast the time went by, I was almost at the entrance, I could see my 3 friends walking up a big staircase to what seems to be a campfire.  I didn't know what to do, I yelled out to them but I think I was too far. What a dummy, of course I was too far. They didn't even know I was drifting away, they didn't even bother slowing down for me, they didn't bother to wait for me...

I tried to paddle with my hands again but only ended up drifting away from the entrance further. I felt completely hopeless... I could feel vines growing from underwater, I became scared. I was alone. No one to save me, no one to guide me. I truly was lost.

. . .

It felt like I was drifting off for ages... Heck probably years! I just wish I could just drown right now but for some reason something changed my mind. Up ahead, I could see land and... An ember? They had a nice shade of blue for a robe, I quite liked it to be honest. They seemed to be unconscious well I'm assuming they are. After my boat hit the land, I jumped off quickly and caught my boat before it could drift off backwards. I checked the ember incase I was wrong and that they were dead but no. They were alive. Just unconscious or asleep... I then saw a bird land on their body tweeting. I shooed it away realizing it was the same bird, I wanted to curse at it but at the same time I didn't want to awaken the blue ember. I gently picked up the blue ember & laid it on the boat, I then created a rope using the vines nearby and made a leash. I then quietly heaved the boat with me as I wandered into the unknown.

I finally ended up in a place which seemed abandoned. To be honest, I didn't really know why I even brought this ember with me, after finally making up my mind, I decided to leave them in my boat behind. I realized, my friends left me well they were the only ones who did stick up for me before I became forlorn although while I became a forlorn ember, I didn't have to do anything, I could just sit there in my own mind without having to do anything.

I knew if I wanted to continue living, I'd have to leave everyone else behind. Although, it seemed quite a mean thing to do. If I were to leave them, they become forlorn. And they won't have to do anything. They won't be left behind. Before leaving, I left my ancient horn behind, I won't be needing it. It's useless to me. I tucked the horn into a sachet bag, the sachet bag was worn by a dead ember wearing a purple robe. Poor thing, they must've been alone down here, oh well.

I thought about the plan. Was it really a good idea? My mind kept telling me to continue the plan. And so I did. Leaving the blue ember underground, all alone...

"My Journey Begins" is pt. 1 of the prologue.

Amount of words: 771 words