Burnside let the pyromancy take hold. He felt the power heaving within him as the inferno enveloped his body in a rush of fire. His Torch of Prometheus flared as the flames flowed upwards, wave upon wave surging through him, swelling his lungs to bursting point until the flames left his chest and coursed up his neck to finally engulf his naked skull in an ecstatic release of energy. The magic of the Torch danced in the halo of flames encircling his cranium, and fingers of fire licked over his skull and flowed inwards through his empty eye sockets. He laughed at the thrill of it, and jets of fire leapt from his mouth.
The rolling domed mounds of Fur Gnome Wold shimmered in the heat. A group of the squat, hairy gnomes, startled from their berry picking, popped their heads up out of the bushes. At the sight of a laughing wizard with his head on fire, they squealed and dived for cover through the nearby hidden entries to their underground homes.
Burnside marched towards the repulsive deadwalker, skull aflame and magic coursing through his veins. He had been hunting the zombie for weeks, but each time he thought he was closing in on it the creature somehow slipped through his fingers. He could not give up, though. He needed to learn more about the transmutation wrought by the Sacred Flames, and this was the first time he had come so close to a wizard who had given himself to a Flame.
Blaze, Burnside’s Swamp Bullfrog, opened his cavernous mouth wide and flicked his burning tongue aggressively towards the ghost-like ball of slime at the zombie’s side, though it was still out of reach. The slime quivered and hid behind its master. Burnside unleashed a fireball at the deadwalker, but the creature reacted with a wraithlike water rune that turned most of the heat from his attack into puffs of steam. Burnside hurled another fireball in the zombie’s direction to counteract an aquatic attack.
Your Purple brethren no longer trust you – they know you will raze their cities to the ground and burn them all when given the chance!
The Pyromancer ignored the voices that rattled inside his skull. Sensing that he was slowly gaining the upper hand he stepped up his attacks, raining a frenzied barrage of fiery bombs down upon his foe. Sparks showered across the zombie’s shadowy cape, which burst alight, and it moaned in mindless terror as the flames licked upwards over its shoulders. The ghostly slime squealed and leaped away from the flames, but this brought it within range of Blaze’s tongue, which struck with precision. The slime’s squeals turned into a shriek as Blaze’s fiery spit coated its repugnant skin.
Smoke billowing from its body, the deadwalker pulled his strangely ethereal rune inward upon himself in a watery cascade. As the waves crashed to the floor, Burnside shook his head in bewilderment; the zombie had vanished, leaving only a small puddle of slightly charred slime on the bare earth.
The inferno faded, leaving Burnside feeling deflated. He immediately craved a return of the flames’ surging intensity. The craving grew stronger each time he tapped into the Torch of Prometheus’ molten power. Blaze lashed at a passing fly and Burnside could smell the bulbous bluebottle cooking on the Bullfrog’s tongue. His familiar belched in satisfaction and eyed the wizard expectantly. Burnside knew that the bullfrog, too, was coming to rely on their moments of conflagration.
Perhaps @wizard4850 was right, he thought.
His compatriot from Hedge Wizard Wood had warned him of the dangers of Prometheus’ Torch.
But he abandoned our quest – and when the secrets of the Sacred Flames were within our grasp! And now, where has that left me? Without an ally in the Runiverse! And him off on his rune-blasted mission in the south, when the Sacred Flames threaten us all… taking those tiny firelings with him. Perhaps they were what kept his flames in check?
Ofaris had returned to his faction several years ago. Burnside did not begrudge him some time at Yellow Wizard Haven – he himself missed Purple Wizard Pavilion from time to time – but his former colleague placed far too much weight on the Quantum Shadow… the Shadow could be dealt with in time; the Sacred Flames were the greater immediate threat. And Burnside was still no closer to discovering their origin or purpose, despite his years of research.
Burnside had struggled on alone up until now, but he found that he was losing his sense of self more and more. Sometimes, for days, there was only the fire, and the voices that encouraged him to draw upon it during every waking moment. Those, too, continued to grow stronger.
Have you forgotten everything we have achieved together, Burnside? Open yourself to the Torch again. Only you control the power of the Gods themselves!
“By all the flaming runes!” he cursed. “Perhaps it is time for me to seek some aid.” Blaze gave a loud croak and bulged his eyes at his wizard. “I know, old friend. I have been remiss. But we find ourselves close to Skylord Rookery. I suppose we should pay a visit to the old git.”
His ivory skull still trailing wisps of smoke, Burnside stooped and gathered up his familiar, and set off for the spiky line of black peaks that filled the western horizon, hoping that he could maintain his determination until he reached the reclusive scholar, perched in his Rookery high above the clouds.
Had enough time passed for the old wizard to come to his senses? Would he be able to hear Burnside out without flying into a fit of rage this time? Burnside would not attack, but he would certainly defend himself. He hoped it would not come to that. If it did, Wizard #2398 might have to die.
Story Arc Index:
Prologue: Soul #7186
Part 1: Wizard #314
Part 2: Wizard #2398
Part 3: Wizard #134
Part 4: Wizard #3920
Part 5: Wizard #7935
Epilogue: Wizard #291
Entered by: 0x24D7…e52b and preserved on chain (see transaction)
