Episode 6. The Awakened Flame

Outside the ruined pet shop, Minjeong searched the mud beside the path. Pawprints of different sizes crossed one another in the direction the shopkeeper had pointed. Namjeong followed a set of rounded prints between the roots, then caught his sister’s sleeve.

NamjeongSis, the tracks go this way.

Pori slipped through the undergrowth first, with Duri and Shiru close behind. Where the narrow path widened beside a pile of stones, a black bear cub and a tawny puma appeared beyond a fallen tree. They were Kkoma and Ppyorongi, just as the shopkeeper had described.

Before Minjeong could raise a hand in greeting, Kkoma’s expression hardened. Ppyorongi glanced between the children and their three companions, then crouched. To the two escapees, this looked very much like a search party.

KkomaAre you here to catch us?

MinjeongNo. We’re looking for Life Water.

The words only made Kkoma bare his teeth. If they wanted something from the shop, surely the owner had hired them to bring his pets back. Ppyorongi sprang from the fallen tree before Minjeong could explain anything else.

PpyorongiYou’re not taking us back!

Minjeong pulled Namjeong behind her just as Pori leaped between them and the descending claws. A branch caught the strike and splintered beside Pori’s cheek. Duri rolled a rock into Kkoma’s path, but the bear planted a paw on it and vaulted over.

Shiru rushed to Duri’s side. A small line of defenders now stood in front of the children. There was no longer room for a conversation.

Pori sent a branch snaking toward Ppyorongi’s legs, only for sharp claws to cut through its joints. Duri’s boulder never reached Kkoma’s shoulder. The bear ducked beneath it and closed the distance before Duri could lift another.

Shiru fired ice into the gap between them. Ppyorongi jumped aside, while Kkoma shattered the thin edge with his claws and pressed forward. Attacks that had taken so much effort scattered almost at once, and the three defenders began to breathe harder.

PoriDuri, beside you!

As Duri turned, Shiru filled the space he had left. Having three of them meant they could just about cover one another’s openings, but none could finish a counterattack. Minjeong and Namjeong were right behind them. Every step back brought those claws closer to the children.

Glass bottles clinked on the far side of the clearing. Sero stopped to catch his breath with the bag of Life Water slung over his back. There were Kkoma and Ppyorongi—the same two he had lost while escaping the shop.

KkomaSero! Where did you go?

SeroYou two ran off without looking back!

Still grumbling, Sero looked at their opponents. When Kkoma said they had come to capture them, he asked no questions. He dropped the bag beside the path, scraped a hoof through the dirt, and sent sand rolling under Pori’s feet.

Keeping up with two fast attackers had been difficult enough. Now even the ground would not stay still. As Shiru caught Pori before he slipped, Kkoma and Ppyorongi charged again.

Junho was hurrying along Sero’s trail. If they could recover the stolen Life Water, he could finally treat Ruby and Chiru. Each time Moa found another hoofprint ahead, Junho adjusted the two injured pets in his arms and followed.

JunhoHold on a little longer. I’ll get the Life Water back.

Ruby tried to say he was fine, but simply lifting his head made his injured leg ache. Chiru was curled up beside him with his eyes closed. Rocked gently by Junho’s steps, Ruby could no longer fight his exhaustion and rested his chin on the boy’s arm.

RubyI’m… just going to close my eyes for a bit.

He did not hear the end of Junho’s quiet reply. Sunlight through the leaves turned red behind his eyelids. Then the smell of the forest and the sound of footsteps disappeared altogether.

When Ruby opened his eyes, reddish mist surrounded him. The ground felt hot beneath his paws, yet did not burn. Something seemed to stand in the distance, but its outline blurred whenever he tried to focus. The sheer force of its presence made him lower himself without thinking.

Unknown voiceIs that all you can do with my fire?

The voice seemed to come from ahead—and then from somewhere inside Ruby’s chest. He looked behind him. Fire shifted in front of him, and he felt the indistinct presence looking down.

Unknown voiceYou pathetic fool…

RubyWho are you? What do you mean, your fire?

There was no answer. Ruby was frightened, but he did not want to retreat. He took one step closer and raised his head, trying to glimpse a face through the light and smoke.

Someone shouted Pori’s name. Before the red mist had cleared, Junho’s arm tightened beneath Ruby, and forest sunlight rushed back into view. The boy had stopped suddenly. At the end of the path stood Minjeong and Namjeong.

JunhoMinjeong! Namjeong!

This was no happy reunion. Pori was panting beside broken branches, while Duri and Shiru stood back to back, struggling to hold off attacks. Across from them, Sero raised another wave of sand. Kkoma and Ppyorongi used it to drive toward the children.

MoaPori!

Moa ran forward before anyone could stop him. Ruby tried to rise and flinched at the pain. There was no time to wonder about the voice he had just heard.

Moa swept his tail, and clear water rose into a broad shield before Pori, Duri and Shiru. Flying sand sank harmlessly inside it. Seeing Sero take a quick step back, Moa pushed another layer of water into place.

MoaGet behind me!

Kkoma and Ppyorongi did not stop. The bear slammed one side while the puma raked long claws across the other. Before Moa could close the gaps, water burst away in both directions.

He pulled the scattered water together again, but the claws always arrived first. The water that had defeated Sero could not hold against these two. Behind the shield, Pori crouched once more. Duri and Shiru dug their paws into the wet ground and braced themselves.

Chiru stirred in Junho’s arms. The boy reached to stop him, but the hedgehog had already slipped to the ground. Even standing straight took an effort. His eyes stayed fixed on the friends behind the failing shield.

ChiruThis time… I’ll stop them.

Chiru strained with everything he had. Electricity sputtered briefly between his quills. But it never reached beyond his body; the light died at the tips. He clenched his teeth and tried again, with the same result.

ChiruHuh? Why won’t my electricity come out?

Ruby saw Chiru’s forepaws trembling and called to him in alarm. Sero turned at the sound. When he saw that Chiru could barely manage an attack, a smile crept across his face.

Sero lowered his head, and a thick wave of sand rose at his feet. It swept across the ground and curled over Chiru. He tried to step clear, but his injured leg moved too slowly. The sand crashed over his small body, knocking him onto his side and pinning him beneath its weight.

ChiruAaagh!

Junho lunged forward, but the swirling sand blocked his way. Only when it streamed away could he see Chiru curled on the ground. A last thin spark faded between his trembling quills. He could no longer lift himself.

RubyChiru!

After his own cry, Ruby heard nothing else. Chiru had promised they would train together. Chiru had touched his forehead to Ruby’s and offered to be his family. Now he lay motionless just ahead. Ruby climbed from Junho’s arms and planted four shaking paws on the ground.

When Sero moved toward Chiru again, something searing turned inside Ruby’s chest. He forgot his aching leg. He forgot the sand that had stopped his fire before. All he knew was that he could not bear to see that sand bury Chiru one more time.

RubyGet away from Chiru!

Ruby opened his mouth, and an enormous torrent of flame erupted instead of his usual narrow blast. The sand wall Sero hurriedly raised glowed red in an instant. Fire tore through it and swept over Kkoma and Ppyorongi as they tried to dodge aside.

Junho shielded his eyes from the light flooding the path. Moa pulled their friends back, and Minjeong wrapped an arm around Namjeong. The fire pouring from Ruby’s small body was unlike anything they had seen from him. Even Sero backed away in disbelief, but there was nowhere left to go.

When the flames subsided, Kkoma, Ppyorongi and Sero lay on the dirt. The claws and sand that had filled the clearing were finally still. Ruby stared at what he had done, breathing hard. He could not quite remember how he had summoned the fire—or how he had stopped it.

Unknown voiceYes, that’s it. Now you’re beginning to understand my fire.

Ruby jerked his head up. It was the voice from his dream. He looked behind the trees and toward the fallen pets, but no one had spoken. If anything, it seemed to have echoed inside his own body.

RubyWho… said that?

JunhoRuby? What is it?

Ruby closed his mouth as Junho approached. No one else seemed to have heard a thing. Then a faint moan came from Chiru, and Ruby hurried to him, still unable to make sense of it.

Junho opened the bag beside Sero. He found intact bottles among the dirt-covered glass, and Minjeong and Namjeong hurried over. Carefully supporting Chiru’s head, he let a little Life Water trickle into the hedgehog’s mouth.

JunhoSwallow slowly, Chiru. I’m right here.

Chiru’s faint breathing gradually steadied. When he opened his eyes and sat up, Ruby’s tense shoulders finally relaxed. Junho offered Ruby a bottle too, while the siblings tended Pori, Duri, Shiru and Moa in turn. As the Life Water restored their strength, the injured pets rose one by one.

ChiruRuby… are you okay too?

RubyYeah. Just don’t scare me like that again.

His voice trembled a little. Chiru pretended not to notice and gently pressed his forehead against Ruby’s. Pori let out a long breath beside them. Only after everyone had fully recovered did Junho count the bottles that remained.

A short distance away, Kkoma shifted on the ground. Ppyorongi and Sero still could not rise either. When Junho picked up the remaining Life Water and walked toward them, Duri stepped into his path.

DuriYou’re giving it to them too?

JunhoThey’re hurt. Let’s treat them first.

Duri glanced at Chiru, then moved aside. Minjeong took the bag and passed Junho the bottles. He gave Life Water to Kkoma, Ppyorongi and Sero as well. Ruby and Chiru watched side by side. Ruby was still angry, but he made no move to attack again.

The three pets began to breathe evenly, and strength returned to their paws. Kkoma opened his eyes first. He looked from Junho crouching before him to the nearly empty bottle. Before the boy could set it down, Kkoma pushed his hand away and backed off.

Kkoma nudged the recovering Ppyorongi with his shoulder. Sero scrambled up and joined them. Not one of them said thank you. Sero glared at Ruby, then quickly looked elsewhere when the fox met his eyes.

PpyorongiThink this is over? We’ll get you back!

SeroNext time, we won’t go easy on you!

Despite their threats, all three were already pointing toward the woods. Sero broke into a run, with Kkoma and Ppyorongi right behind. This time they glanced back every few steps, making sure none of them had been left behind. Namjeong stared at the empty path in disbelief.

NamjeongWe even healed them. Unbelievable.

Junho fastened the bag instead of chasing them. Ruby checked that Chiru was still beside him, then looked down at his own forepaws. The terrible heat had faded. The stranger’s voice, calling the fire his own, had not.