Legend of Kataria (Draft Version)

Chapter 21

Greeny screamed and shielded his face with his arms as the fire swarmed him. He waited for the terrible sensation, to feel the skin melting from his bones and the excruciating pain that would accompany it.

But it never came.

"GREENY!"

He opened his eyes to see the flames spiral around him and vanish into faint wisps of smoke, almost as if they were being controlled. He didn't know why, but he felt his eyes being drawn to the window, where he found Red leaning out dangerously far, his hands glowing with flickering orange light. He had redirected the fire and saved Greeny, but the effort was taxing him greatly. Greeny could see the pain etched across the teen's face.

"HURRY!" Red yelled again. "I don't know how much longer I can hold it!"

Greeny didn't hesitate. With a nod of thanks, he hurried into the burning building, keeping his body low and his face turned down. Instantly, the sun vanished, replaced with the eerie darkness of a charred house and blackened rubble. The only light was the occasional flickers of the fire as it roared and spread throughout the rest of the structure.

Half-blinded, he stumbled, trying to wave away the smoke and find the stairs to the second floor where the others were trapped. "Red!" he yelled, coughing as he inhaled as ash and soot. "RED!" There was a muffled response, but it was too far away for him to make out. The stairs, his mind reminded him sternly. You need to find the stairs.

But just where were the stairs? They weren't near the door and everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but smoke and fire. Okay, he thought, trying to get his bearings. Okay, focus. Think this through. This is an older house which means an older construction design. Where would the stairs be?

The smoke was getting thicker. Greeny's eyes watered and his coughs grew deeper as he scanned the blackened room.

"GREENY!" There was a thump from somewhere upstairs. Greeny whipped around, hearing Red's voice once more. And then, out of the smoke, he located the stairs spiraling behind a fireplace, possibly the source of the flames.

He didn't hesitate, hurrying over and running up them two at a time. Reaching the top, a single narrow hall unwound before him. Fire ate hungrily at the wallpaper on either side. Like every movie cliché ever, a beam had fallen in from the rafters and was blocking him from the second half of the hall, where, moments later, Red appeared, soot-faced, carrying a limp bundle. A child, possibly no more than three, wrapped in a thick blanket. Red was hunched over the girl, shielding her with his own body.

"Red!" Greeny yelled, backing away, covering his face with his hands. "Red, I can't get to you!"

The teen held the child close, squinting past the fiery beam. "I can't control the flames while I've got this little one! You're going to have to do this one yourself!"

"No way!" Greeny gasped, terror cascading over him. He took another step back. "Red, I can't! I can't use my powers! I...I don't know how..."

The girl whimpered, burying her face further into Red's chest. The brunette held her head comfortingly, his tearful gaze passing from the beam to Greeny and then down to the little girl. His meaning was obvious. You're the only one who can save her. "It's okay!" he yelled back. "Greeny, it's okay! You can do this! I'll help you!"

Greeny ran a hand through his hair, frantically weighing his options. The fire was creeping up the stairs behind him. It would be upon them in a matter of moments and Red was right. He couldn't manipulate the flames. Not without risking the little girl's life. There really was no other choice. "All right!" he shouted. "All right! Just...tell me what to do."