A Colourless Blight (Open)

[Kalak8538]

The old man simply dismissed it.

"Poor thing is so tired..." he thought.

With an spot cleared for the fire, he got to work. The clearing was plentiful in kindling, and there were even some small sticks laying close by. Normally, the man would just use his magic to start the campfire. However, he did not want to freak out the child. Not after they had just met.

He picked up two stones. He never understood how beings were able to start fire with these, nor did he ever care to learn. It was a skill that was simply unnecessary for someone like him. Yet, he knew the premise.

*CLACK...   CLACK...*

The two rocks clacked together over and over. It was not actually supposed to work, just look good. A few more clacks, and the old man discretely let an ember fly from a finger. Being magic in nature, it caught immediately. A smoking ember slowly grew to a small flame, to a small fire.

"There you go. Just warm yourself here, I will get more wood."

The sun was almost gone now. The forest around them was getting noticeably darker now. The elderly man scanned the surrounding wood, his eyes unaffected by the increasingly scarce light.

[CyclicalCycal]

Cara watched the flames crackle and flicker, wearily. She rubbed her hands together, scooting closer as she grabbed at her coat and wrapped it tightly around her body. She looked up, seeing the darkness growing, the shadows of the trees looming ever more threateningly.

Cara tilted her head, slightly, as if this was not something to fear, or be worried of, but instead some peculiar happenstance. It just happened to be the case that the trees were looming, it seemed to be. She paused, for a very long while, considering something. Cara shook her head, gazing down to the ground, after a brief moment, then to the flames, wincing slightly at the fire.

[Kalak8538]

The sun had set by the time the man returned. In his arms was firewood, consisting of both large logs and small sticks. He carried them over with ease, and placed it down in a heap beside the giant log.

He smiled when he saw the young girl had not left. There was no reason to of course, but this one had surprised him before. He picked up some of the smaller sticks, and placed them on the somewhat-dwindling campfire. The fire grew instantly, assisted by some concealed fire magic.

Letting out a grunt of relief, the seemingly-elderly man sat himself down beside the girl, and watched the flames.

[CyclicalCycal]

Cara watched, for a very long while (or what it seemed to be to her, anyway) before finally breaking the silence.

"It hurts." Was all she could get out, rubbing her eyes and squinting at the fire. "W-why is it so...so...hot...? Why does it have to be...?" She asks, looking up to the man, blinking blearily, letting her questions hang in the air.

[Kalak8538]

On the opposite side of the gitl sat a monstrous cat-like beast, invisible to all but the old man. It began to chortle hysterically.

"Why is fire HOT?! Good luck with this one!" it said through tears.

The man returned her gaze, paying the monster no mind. He was somewhat confused by her question.

"It is the nature of fire..."

[CyclicalCycal]

Cara paused, for a long while, taking this in. She then asked a far odder question.

"...no...I meant...they...want to know why you are burning u-them? Them."  Cara rubbed at her arms, staring at the fire. "...you're making all of them nervous." She said, gesturing all around herself.

[Kalak8538]

"Well, they SHOULD be!" The monstrous apparition snapped. The vision was paid no mind.

The man took a moment to look around at all the trees, viewing them more as aware beings than normally. It was easy to forget that plants were living things as well. Being still as they did, many take that life for granted...

However, what was more interesting was how the girl seemingly spoke for them. Is that what her power was? Did she have a close connection with nature? That would explain what happened earlier...

The elder was wise. He had an answer that would hopefully make the girl, as well as the trees, content. He looked to the fire, and began calmly.

"Well, they should not worry too much. Many see fire as destructive and violent, and like anything else, it can be without balance. Still, it is a part of nature, just as important as the soil or the rains. It breaks down the refuse of the forest, returning nutrients into the earth for the living to consume."

He looked to the girl, the glare of flames reflecting off his thick round shades.

"I understand their concern... There are many who would cut down living trees to fuel their fires. It is important to know the way of nature... Only dead wood will find its way to this fire. Living wood has too much potential."

[CyclicalCycal]

Cara rubs her eyes, again, wearily. She nodded, slowly, carefully. It looked like she had begun to understand, in a way. "Okay...but...fire prevents rot? That's...that's not normal." She said, looking up, again. Cara seemed rather tired, mumbling. "I-I'm...gonna sleep..." She slowly surveyed the area, hunting for something.

After a brief pause, Cara decided that the log she was sitting on would do just fine, curling up, and shutting her eyes. It would work...

[Kalak8538]

"Rot does the same... just not as quickly..."

More explanation was not really necessary. Before he knew it, the girl had already settled in and closed her eyes. Some time passed until the man was sure she was completely asleep. He rose and brought another branch from his pile to the fire.

The flames grew slightly larger in response, the heat somewhat more intense. The man removed his long cloak, and stared reminiscently at the fire. As much as truth as there was in his words, he also remembered the destruction and devastation his flames had once done. The dancing flame before him was necessary to keep the little one warm for the night, otherwise there was no need for it.

With one final act, the old man lay his cloak over the sleeping girl before retaking his seat beside her. He did not need sleep. He was able to go one night without it. Besides, he had to keep watch on both the fire and for the blight...

[CyclicalCycal]

The blight was an imminent threat, yes, but it was not quick. It was dangerous, but slow. It would take days to reach them, but with every passing moment the blight crept further and further, closer and closer. It was an inevitability, albeit a slow one.

---

Cara slowly pushed herself off the ground. It seemed she had rolled off the log during her sleep. She rose to her feet, blinking blearily and looking about the area, trying to see if there were any major changes during the night...

...she hoped not.

[Kalak8538]

The scene around them seemed like every normal morning that had come before it. There was very little evidence that the blight even existed. The only clue was the stillness of the environment, the quiet that was left by animals as they fled. A grim feeling hung in the air, the blight corrupting the forest's very aura.

The man watched as the girl rose.

Since she still had his cloak, he tried his best to tuck his tails away behind him. That would hopefully hide them for now...

"I trust you slept well?"

[CyclicalCycal]

Cara sighed in relief, looking to the man. "...uh...y-yes. I did." She rose to her feet, stretching and sighing. "Th-thank you..." Cara mumbled, wearily. "...I need...need to go back...to stop the...to stop the..." She failed to elaborate, assuming that that was all that needed to be said, staring up and waiting.

[Kalak8538]

"We will go back..." the old man began solemnly.

"...AFTER we learn how to stop it..."

Mr. Ikka admired the girl's determination. Yet, he feared it as well.
The last thing he wanted was for the girl to run back, now that her energy was renewed.

He reached out an open hand. His cloak was still wrapped around the young girl.

"My cloak, if you please..."

[CyclicalCycal]

"I know how to beat it..." Cara responded, pushing herself up and going to stand, placing the cloak into his hand. "Father taught me! He said that to beat it we need either a lot of magic or..." Cara's sentence trailed off, slowly. She seemed nervous, now. Evidently, she didn't want to elaborate on the second option that may or may not exist.

[Kalak8538]

"Oh?"

Mr. Ikka was genuinely intrigued, yet incredulous. He had seen her attempt yesterday, and it was apparent she did not have nearly enough magic needed for the first option. His cloak was completely on by the time she paused.

"...Or?"

[CyclicalCycal]

"Or...well...we could...I. Father...father taught me a way that works...but we need someone who is willing to be sacrificed. It...it purges the blight...forever and ever and ever...but I don't want to die." She said, weakly. "And...I don't think you want to die either."

[Kalak8538]

"No. No no no, No NO!" exclaimed the monstrous apparition, appearing only to respond to this.

It knew what the man knew. Long had he considered death, the ultimate way to end the guilt he felt over his past. He would not go through with it though. There was much more to do in his unnatural life. Dying here, for such a minor cause, would mean that he would not be around for another danger that he could prevent.

"That is not an option..." Mr. Ikka responded, rising up from his seat on the log.

"No one is going to be sacrificed to this... thing. No one needs to die..."

[CyclicalCycal]

"..."

Cara stood there, utterly befuddled. She hadn't really expected this, just waiting and then eventually beginning to speak. "...w-we need...more magic! I've got magic! But not enough. D-do you know any strong mages! Good ones. Not evil necroma-necro...necromancers. Or...demon-mages. But ones who will help us?" She said, hope burning inside of her body. The child knew she could fight of the blight.

She had to.

[Kalak8538]

The old man looked back towards the direction of the blight.

"Not nearby..."

He himself held an extraordinary amount of magic, yet he did not fit the description.
The man's magic was dark and destructive in nature, not likely to assist him in ridding such evil.

"What would such a process entail?"

[CyclicalCycal]

"Well, you...you push away the blight...deeper and deeper into the forest...until you find its heart. And its heart...could be a heart. A crystal. Or a person! Then, you destroy it! The difficult part is getting...to the centre. I can't ward off the blight...long enough to get there...that's-that's the problem." She explained, growing determined.