Burn

Chapter One: Life's Flame

Breathing it in, the smog and air quickly exasperating like it's giving up and it couldn't drive off the incoming smoke from the fire. I lay here on the wooden floor as the fire burns everything around me. I think to myself "This is it. I'm going to burn alive and die in my own home. I can't believe this has happened so quickly and so violently. If only I have done something to prevent this from happening. But it might not be able to be prevented either. Everything has an end and I find a weird kind of solace in that." As the fire burnt more of my home, it went that much closer to me. My time left on this planet came that much closer to it's end. I closed my eyes and I waited there. I didn't move, I didn't even budge or try to escape my impending doom. Why rush death? I can wait to meet him. If he is willing to take some of time to do so. "Breathe in, Breathe out" I say out loud to myself. No one was around me, not anyone that's actually still alive at the very least. "Everything happens for a reason. If this has to happen, who am I to stop the forces of nature?" I said out loud again. I wasn't going to ask why this had to happen. I wasn't going to ask who wanted this to happen either because I was never the type of person to look for someone to blame.

I don't want to blame anyone, but I know people outside screaming and crying will look for that someone to blame it all on. I pray to any god that is out there that they find peace amongst this chaos. I pray that they find the will to move on from this. Within moments this house will be nothing but a pile of burnt wood and ashes. Any moment people will have to bury their loved ones. Sending us to our early graves. In only just a few moments people will know this was set a blaze on purpose and they will want to have their revenge. They will want the person or people who had done this to feel the same way as they do. But they won't want to remember the kind of people they lost because they're caught up in their own feelings of grief.

Sirens in the distance, less time to be rescued and I am more than a little alright with dying. Death wasn't something to be feared, but to be embraced as if I haven't seen him for a very long time. As my own life began to fade away. A man pulled me out of the burning building. All of this happened in just moments, moments that can never be taken back and avoided. "Thank the gods she wasn't hurt," someone said a few meters away. I don't understand, I thought they would have let me burn like the others. I guess I don't know as much as I thought I do.

"Ragnarok, pull through. I swear to whatever god or gods you believe in. You better be alive." A man mumbled. Before you panic, yes that's my name and I know it sounds weird. But you weren't alive the same time I was. I opened my eyes coughing and rolling over. I didn't want to see the burning building that I called home. I don't need to see it that way. In fact, I don't want to see it that way either. "I'm so sorry," an elderly woman said walking towards me. "It was an unusual act from the gods that left you unharmed." she continued.

"I hope they end up in sovengarde" I mumbled getting up, finally following her to the nearby inn. I didn't understand why this was all happening to me of all people. Years after the great war, two hundred years since Martin Septim sacrificed himself to save Nirn. As much as they don't want to admit it, we owe more than our lives to that man. I owe my entire existence to him. Mainly because if he didn't do what he did then, I wouldn't be brought into the world.

I would have to return to Skyrim sooner or later. It was my home, just as much as it was theirs and it was about time I return. I owe them that much, as I promised that I would go back there and live a better life than I have been already. I spent the night at the inn and I was going to leave in the morning. I have been to many places over the years. I never stayed in one place longer than two or three weeks. I never did liking staying in one place too long. I always wanted to explore areas people aren't brave enough to do so.

It's both a gift and a curse, as some would often say or think. Life's flame was snuffed out by my parents, siblings and possibly anyone else that was in the house tonight. I still have to come to terms with this. As well as the terms that no one wanted to help us all. Just me, for a reason I might have the guts to hear about.