I carefully navigated through the Blazing Forest, looking for a campsite. As I contemplated a piece of land that I could set up my tent in, I heard howling. My hand shot towards my Shurkien’s handle and I settled into a crouch, my gaze sweeping through the undergrowth. “Was it a firewolf?” I thought. After a few seconds, I released my grip on the weapon.

  After briefly examining the area, I started setting up my tent. A breeze sent shivers down my neck. I had a feeling that something was watching me, but after repeatedly examining the nearby bushes, I dismissed the thought.

  Just as I finished securing, I heard a flapping sound behind me. Turning around, I saw a black blur that dove at me from the sky, scoring marks on my arm with its talons. I stumbled backwards, eyes shooting wide open, following the creature’s path. It leapt into the air with a powerful bat of its wings, flying up above me, letting out a caw.

  My assailant was an especially large bird. Its feathers shimmered in shades of inky black, streaked with crimson that glowed like embers in the dim light. It swooped at me again, sharp talons extended eagerly. I pulled out my Shurkien, meeting the bird’s dive with a swing.

  The bird slammed right into my weapon with a dizzying pang, staggering mid-air and falling to the ground. I quickly grabbed it, snapping its neck with a sharp jerk we all pick up in training. It was a suitable meal for the night.

  After preparing camp and unpacking my sleeping bag, I lay in my tent, tossing and turning. Unable to sleep, I steeled my nerves, reminding myself of my mission.

  I am Flint, seventeen rotations old and the grandson of Vulcan, one of the greatest battle leaders. I am currently a leader-in-training of Fire, one of the five tribes in Strica, a lush and plentiful land.

  For countless rotations, the five tribes have engaged in fierce battles, resulting in bloody chaos everywhere and a constant struggle for dominance over Strica. Countless warriors lost their lives in brutal combat. As lives were lost to battle and tribes grew smaller, they fought even more furiously to avenge those deaths.

  Following a fierce fight against Water where the fighters we sent out were nearly halved, I dove into our library, seeking out tactics that may have been forgotten over time. I came across numerous tactics outlined in various books, but none of them were easily executable.

  As I was reading, I noticed a book tucked in the corner of a shelf. It caught my attention, as it appeared much more worn than the other books around it. Intrigued by its contents, I pulled it out and began flipping through its pages.

  Rather than tactics of combat, the book told a story of a man named Narmer. After an extensive period of warfare between two clans, Narmer united them by acting as a mediator, helping the people find what they had in common and what they both wanted, leading to the prosperity of both, who eventually merged together to form a single civilization, Pangaea.

  Though the story wasn’t real, it sparked a thought for me: why couldn’t we do the same? Wouldn’t we all prosper if the five tribes worked together?

  Ever since this notion appeared in my head, I thought about it from day to night, disrupting my hunting and training. I became unfocused and careless in my practice fights, and I started to make unbefitting mistakes for a future leader. I have been reprimanded multiple times, but never took any warning to heart.

  One night, a spirit by the name of Serafina came to me in a dream. She talked to me about my thoughts, and told me that to unite the five tribes, I must “collect a shard of each tribe, complete the Star Badge and release the spirits to guide their paths.”

  “This is your mission,” Serafina said as the dream faded away.

  However vague it was, I did find a map at the side of my bed when I woke up, which led to a place named the Heavenly Pillar. After some brief packing, I rushed out to complete this mission before anyone else discovered my plan and stopped me from pursuing my goal, especially my grandfather, Vulcan.

  I snapped awake upon hearing howling near my camp. Cursing myself for not being more careful about where I set up my tent, I hurriedly buckled on my Shurkien’s sheath and opened the flaps of my tent. As I climbed out to meet whatever was outside, heart hammering, I saw not a pack of firewolves, but a single one. At the sight of it, I relaxed. It padded over and affectionately nudged my leg while whining softly. “Riley!” I smiled.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  When I was still a child, I had ventured into the Blazing Forest, hearing a desperate cry from an animal, despite warnings from elders about the potential dangers. The source of the sound was a firewolf pup. He had become separated from his group and was hanging onto the edge of a cliff, at risk of plummeting onto the sharp rocks below. I laid down on my stomach and just managed to grab him by the scruff, and set him down on safe ground.

  The firewolf pup reminded me of a character in a book I’ve read: Riley, a red-haired boy who loved adventuring, often finding himself in poor predicaments. I decided to name the pup after him.

  After he had recovered, the newly named Riley bit the side of my left hand. I winced but did not withdraw my hand, as a rush of heat flooded inside of my arm, a strange rune being inscribed onto my hand. This feeling was... indescribable, a mix between adrenaline, pain, and warmth.

  Firewolves are captivating creatures, shrouded in mystery and rarely seen in the presence of humans. Their elusive nature only adds to their mystique, as they often watch us from afar, melting away with the forest once they intend to leave. But every once in a while, they will approach us, either to walk beside us during our journeys or to launch an attack on us. Their fickle behavior adds to the difficulty of befriending them.

  If a firewolf truly trusts someone, they may bestow upon them a rune. This symbol holds great significance and represents a strong bond and friendship, but its purpose remains a mystery to us. Water has similar markings and can call upon creatures to attack us in battle, but out of dignity, we refrain from asking our enemies for their techniques.

  To receive a rune from a firewolf is an extraordinary honor. In fact, the mark is so rare that it has been granted to a mere four other people, although similar marks have been observed with other animals. Despite Vulcan being cross with me for entering the Forest all alone, he was proud of me for befriending a firewolf, and wished for me to unlock the secrets behind this mark.

  I sat down and distanced myself from my thoughts. Riley jumped onto my lap and gently licked a bead of sweat off my cheek with his rough tongue. Glad that I had met a friend instead of a foe, I scratched Riley behind his ears, and he made a half growling, half purring noise that I took for satisfaction. I noticed that Riley’s fur became much darker, reaching a deep shade of maroon instead of the bright red it once was, and whenever I looked into his mesmerizing eyes, I felt a pleasant hum in the back of my head. “Riley, you’ve grown so much!” I told him. He yipped in agreement.

  With Riley next to me, my confidence and energy soared. I would often run my fingers through Riley’s fur, loving the way it slid between my fingers. Occasionally, Riley would scratch the ground of the forest with his claws, as if to mark the location of a buried treasure. When I asked him why, he snorted, gave me a look, and sprinted ahead. Laughing at the clear display of annoyance, I chased after him, determined to get a reason for his behavior. This determination soon waned as I received a powerful headbutt that knocked me onto my back. I sighed, figuring that it was something Riley didn’t want to tell me. Firewolves have withheld many secrets from us.

  Reaching the end of the Blazing Forest, I prepared to cross into the land of Water. Riley bid me goodbye with a whine and a bark, sliding between the undergrowth like a shadow. Due to the animosity between the two tribes, I had to be very careful. The contrasting elements and temperature could very well kill me. With a deep breath, I stepped into the land my map named Aqua Plains.

  Before I could take more than a few steps, a frog spat a mouthful of water at me, and I ducked hastily, almost tripping over a rock. The frog then hopped away, ignoring me. I stood in place, staring at it with narrowed eyes, before continuing my trek.

  I could often hear the distant shouts of a band of people. Every time this happened, I would tense, drop down, and pull out my Shurkien. This was a traditional Fire weapon. It resembled a falchion, with star-like blades attached to the edge. It could withstand high temperatures, and my pyrokinesis can heat it up and make the blades rotate, allowing it to cut through light armor and tough hide easily. The rotating blades could be folded in and sheathed using a special sheath made with tough hide. I acquired my own sheath by defeating a large fire salamander that had claimed a sunny boulder. It was a tough battle that almost broke my sword arm.

  As I trudged over the shore of a creek, I was startled by a ghastly moan coming from some unknown creature. Just as I lifted my foot to step ahead, I saw a shape moving in the water. In a lazy lunge that looked more like a yawn, the crocodile revealed itself, its color blending perfectly into the environment. It was sleek; its two tails gliding along the surface. I would have stepped onto its head had it not risen. It seemed to have just awoken, and its sleepy attempt at biting me with its huge jaws missed. I leapt backwards.

  Drawing my Shuriken, I attempted to fight off this monstrous creature. Despite its appearance, it had a thick and impenetrable hide that even my Shuriken's spinning blades, infused with my pyrokinesis, could not pierce. Its tails were particularly resilient, gleaming with a metallic shine as it swung them, easily deflecting my attacks with sparks flying. It quickly became clear that I was no match for this formidable foe.

  I sprinted towards the opposite side of the creek, attempting to escape the crocodile's territory. However, it relentlessly pursued me, equally adept at moving on land. As I retreated, struggling it closed in on me and continued to attack with powerful jets of water.

  In less than a minute of pursuit, the massive reptile struck my back with a strong blast of water, sending me crashing to the ground. It lunged for my leg and sank its fangs into my skin, the icy cold temperature amplifying the pain. I thrashed and flailed, trying to escape the fanged prison to no avail. I screamed with desperation as the beast slowly dragged me under the water, hoping for someone to save me from this disaster.