"Thanks for your help Jesse!"

I smile and wave back to the citizen as I begin to walk off, looking for somewhere else to help. The blaze rod in my back pocket still pulsing, but with much less strength than it did when I got it yesterday morning.

Glancing up at the sky, the sun just peaking over the horizon, I realize I haven't seen Petra nor Lukas come out. Petra had to call it a night before I pretended to turn in, helped out again for most of yesterday, but had to rest again a few hours into last night. Thanks to her help though, there's already been a huge refugee complex built out of wood.

Lukas I know has to be somewhere by now, but I have no clue. I may have been purposefully avoiding him for a really long time now. Keeping the connection muddy mainly from guilt and shame.

"Jesse!" I smile at the voice, turning to it as I try to ignore the worms of guilt for lying to Lukas. But ultimately just begin to worry what he's going to do when he finds me, and I'm sure I'm going to get an earful from Petra if she finds me too. I may have lied about resting to her last time too.

"Oh hey, Amelia." The lady continues smiling at me, so I suppose I got her name right. Quite honestly surprised I remembered in the first place, since a whole bunch has happened since I met her.

"Are you coming over to the hospital? We could sure use your help." I pause for a bit, wondering if that's a good idea. My doctor is over there, and I don't want him calling me out again. However, he could be resting right now and chances are I won't even bump into him. And if he believes I've been resting all of yesterday, he might be fine with me working a bit.

"Yeah, the more volunteers the better right?" Amelia smiles and nods, before her gaze flickers away from me. We walk in a comfortable silence to the hospital, with me having out eye out for Petra or Lukas just in case.

I gasp, reality suddenly plunging into freezing water, the constant energy shattering. Amelia glances at me, but I try to smile at her despite my gut clenching in a painful way. My head swarming with worry and anxiety, my thoughts travelling through mud as I try to understand what's happening.

My flames waver and quiver, refocusing their attention on something else. And even if I could tell what that something else is, the sharp agonizing pain from my ribs tears my attention away from anything else. The burn sizzling on my neck following right in its footsteps.

"Jesse? You don't look so good, perhaps, uh, you shouldn't be working at the hospital." I try to wave her away, when the claw marks I've been hiding bristle and sting violently. Strong enough for me to wince when I try to move that arm.

"We have a lot of volunteers already Jesse, don't feel like you have to." Amelia's voice is almost background noise as I try to push that pain away so I can reign my flames back in. "Maybe you should rest instead."

Right as I grab control of the flames again and pull them back, right as I stop them from reacting and acting weird, does my brain finally see what the only thing that could be causing this is.

The yellow fire.

I quickly release my fire back to fight it, but it's like a silverfish against a horde of zombies. Sensations and feelings fly out of my grasp as the last thing I do is let out a faint moan.

I blink rapidly, it's always so bright in this world. The boy coughs and shrivels up, and for a moment I do feel slightly bad for him. I do empathize with the stress the Suare harbor.

"Jesse...? I, uh..."

I fake a cough, bending my head and bringing my hand up to block my eyes. "I'm not feeling so well; I'm going to head back."

Only after do I turn away from her do I stand up properly, waving goodbye at the lady and wishing the boy's eyes weren't such a vivid green. If they were more hazel or something it wouldn't be as bad to hide them.

I grumble as the boy's wounds begin to limit my mobility. He has a nasty burn from the Suare on his neck, and deep claw marks on one arm with a bit on the other. Doesn't he have a healer? Such exposure to the acid would have greatly impacted the fire's ability to do anything, much less regenerate properly.

The blaze rod in the boy's pocket pulses with energy, and I unfortunately have to use it to keep the pain at bay. While there's nothing I'd rather do then just open a portal already and be free again, I have to know where the child's Gebunden is. And mine would never let me hear the end of it if I did it in a crowd.

Since all of the pervious attempts have failed, I can't use any flame for anything other than the portal. My fire isn't strong enough and I'm already using some of the boy's so I can walk. So I just have to get out of this city without the Gebunden spotting me.

Taking a deep breath, I look around and try to find my way out. Multiple shinning lights blast to the heavens, another one of the human's strange creations, and I decide to go there. Trying to stick to the shadows and avoid eye contact all together.

A premature streak of triumph ripples through me when I see the gates out of this town. All I have to do now is get outside and deep into the forest. Then freedom will finally be opened to us, after this eternity, we will be free.

I take a back road and try to draw no attention to me. People all around me are so busy, rushing around each other that the moving shadow doesn't get a snip of their attention. Good, good.

The boy finally begins to push against me, I thought he would do that sooner, but his attempts aren't nearly as strong as they were last time. He must be too weak, he can barely even get himself to fight.

I know he hates me, I can feel it and Mark Possession was forbidden since it was would cause many grudges, but I don't have any other choice. I promised to my Gebunden that I would free us, and this is the only way.

The back road ends, and I can either try to climb on the builds to get over the wall or hope the gate is open. Since the first one takes flame I can't spare unless necessary, I take a peep out to see the grand front gate.

There's a construction site by the gate, a whole bunch of people swarming in, out, on, and off it. But what catches my attention is the boy's human redhead friend talking in front of it. Although the gate is closed, I can't risk trying to open or go out in the open at all.

I frown in thought, easily ignoring the child weakly pushing against me. I can't scale the buildings without jeopardizing the plan, yet if the human spots me and calls for the Gebunden I'm done for.

The redhead nods, making some gesture to the other human next to her. The boy weakly fights, his spirit yearning to his friend and it stuns me just how much he has bonded with humans. I suppose this boy was originally human until he earned the spark, but still, how can he and the Gebunden stand to be in this world at all when the Nether is much better?

I shake off the thoughts when the redhead walks to the gate. What luck! The gates will open, and since this child is friends wither her, I'll be able to follow her without making a scene.

The big red doors open up for her, a grin leaps to my face. This could be any greater, even a carefully devised plan couldn't go any better.

Sprinting almost silently out to follow her, the gates remaining open for me too. I do have to use some extra flame since the boy's body is severely weakened. But I'd be a fool to try to find another way out.

Once I'm past the gates, they begin to slide shut behind me. I grin again, just prefect. If the redhead does shout for help, it will be harder for the Gebunden to act. This is it, I can finally open a proper portal instead of those random blips that are completely unstable. It's time for ours.

"Jesse?" The human turns and stomps up to me, she has pretty good hearing. But she still can't see my eyes yet, and I can escape to the forest to my right. "I can't believe you! It's been over twenty four hours since you've slept and you had the balls to lie to me about it! You need rest! Do you know how freaked out Lukas was when he came to me?" 

"He has valid reasons to be concerned." She gasps when she sees my eyes, foolishly trying to draw her sword. I use the extremely tiny bit of flame it takes to make my eyes shine with my fire. "But you should be more concerned about your own being, scream or attack, and we shall see how versed you are with how to dance with fire."

The redhead glares at me, her strong bravery an impressive quality for a human, but doesn't draw her sword. I grit my teeth a bit when the child attacks me strong, but despite his desperation, he's simply too weak to do anything.

"Why do you keep doing this to Jesse?" Her voice quivers, in absolute rage rather than fear. "Don't you see all the problems you're causing? What could you possibly gain for inflicting all this pain on Jesse and the rest of us!?"

"I have everything to gain and nothing to lose."

I sprint off to the forest before she can say anything, my portal now finally within my grasp. I couldn't care less when the redhead sprints off to get to the Gebunden, they can't stop me. Besides, if my portal works then they'll never have to worry about Mark Possession again.

The temperature drops once I get under the trees, and I become giddy when I think about how close I am to feel the warmth of the Nether yet again. Too bad it's easier to create portals in this dimension than the Nether, or else this would've been a lot easier.

I grab the blaze rod thrumming with energy. The boy does a have a blaze then, and while this one has been off the blaze for a long time, it will do. This really is the day, I will finally be free. Part of me can barely believe it.

Taking a deep breath, I hold the blaze rod to the sky and force the child's fire, as much as possible, into it. It crackles with energy and flames, and I slowly point it downward, letting all that energy compact and build up stronger and stronger.

The blaze rod begins to expand in my grasp, and I release the pressure. Brilliant green flames darting out and creating a perfect circle. I shove all the boy's flame I can into it, the more stable the portal, the better.

I call my flames out, my fire just as restless as me to finish this, to finally fulfill my promise to my Gebunden I made an eternity ago. Once this portal opens, we'll be free.

Pushing my yellow inferno into the center, it quickly fills the space. I grin when the boy's body reacts positively to the dimension tearing apart right here, he must have been around a lot of portals. Yet another good favor working for me, I wouldn't want to get nauseous in the middle of this.  

Once the space is filled by my flames, it falls out of my control. The flickering yellow flames bleeding black and blending together as if water. All I have to do now is keep feeding it until the process is complete, until this portal opens up to the Ash Lands.

The boy yearns and fights against me, but even the little strength he had is quickly being sapped up by the portal. It's his fire and only his keeping the portal stable, and that takes a lot of raw flame.

A Suare bursts out, the vile creature stumbling around in disorientation. They aren't the brightest creatures, but it should be intelligent enough to recognize my yellow fire and that I'm the one keeping the portal up.

More Suare fumble out, and none of them attack me. I don't care though, I need my Gebunden to come out with my body. That's all, that's all this portal needs to do. Once that happens I'll shut off the rest of the Suare in there forever.

One after another stumble out, the ones that have been out the longest screeching to others. After being with them for an eternity, I realize they're forming back into their pack.

The child inside panics, to the point where his logic shatters. He hurls himself against me like a crazed animal, his weaning strength being slammed into me with everything and more. I grit my teeth, extremely worried at how well he's pushing against me now when he's been so weak.

More and more Suare fill the area, the kid going berserk. His flame wavers, a ripple going throughout the portal as the frame flickers. I curse silently, knowing how much this child is destroying himself but stamping him out as hard as I can.

I've come this far, this is my chance. I'm not letting anything stop me.

The boy retreats, all of himself swirling and compacting together. I gulp, unsure of what he can and will do. But after everything I've gone through, after everything I've done, it's my time to get my life back.

Yet when that finally happens, when my precious Gebunden manages to stumble out of the portal alongside the Suare, the boy erupts. Reminding me from my ancient past life why humans that earned the spark are the most revered of all.

The child, who was unable to put up a simple defense against Mark Possession, burns his spirit.

Before I get a chance to let go of the portal and release him myself, he takes care of that. Exploding forth in pure flame, pain blasting throughout me as I release my hold.

I gasp for breath, somehow going from feeling as worse as silverfish droppings to unable to feel anything except fire. Pure and strong flames all around me, all that I am. Peace flowing through me as I simply don't need to, I simply can't, comprehend anything.

The demons screech and hiss at me, and I raise my arm at them. Not feeling afraid at all, the absolute flames burning blissfully inside me yet hotter and more powerful than ever before.

The closest ones leap, and the fire leaps from my limb to meet them. Their cries of aggression warps into shrieks of pain before ash sprinkles onto the ground. The brilliant, bright light flames of green singing wondrously as they swirl back into me.

"Stop..." I turn towards the croak, an old women with a limp old body beside her. I'm not surprised, yet also not expecting it too. It's strange and peaceful in this state, simply existing with nothing to cause pain.

"You must stop..." Her words slip by me, as I see her and everything fade. Fade and fade until they have no color left at all in them. "You can't survive like that..."

I pay her words no heed. I am at peace, no conflict or strife within me. Why should I stop that? The creatures don't attack me anymore either, just peace now. Nothing but peace, which is both good and bad.

"Please! You must stop!" The lady coughs, a natural process. One that must happen, a good one. The only thing that's not good are the things that aren't natural. But everything else is at peace.

The ground seems to vanish beneath me feet, yet when I glance down, nothing has changed. This is good, or perhaps it is bad. All I know is that it makes me more at peace. Less conflict and strife inside of me, leaving more and more peace.

"Jesse!"

The shout rings softly in my ears. Fear, urgency, pain, they are all good? Yes, they are. They are all natural. My eyes glide across the colorless world, floating blissfully in nothing. There is nothing bad here, nothing I have to fix. Which is good, all is good.

"Jesse!"

The sound muffles in my ears, and I watch in serenity as the creatures react to the voice now. Hunters, that's what these creatures are. Natural predators, good predators, that will hunt prey, that is good and natural too.

Yet when the brief cry of pain that wafts through my head before all fades into a peaceful silence, is a scream. For some reason, the harmony falters and stumbles. Which is not good, which is not natural. Something I must fix.

Despite more and more conflicts fading away, I point my focus onto where the scream came from. Where I see the colorless image of the creatures surrounding their prey, which is good and natural. Yet I see a man and a woman, and something about them disturbs my peace.

I sigh, letting that disruption slip away from me. Peace, no more conflicts and strife. If I focus on that bad, when it is inherently natural and good, it will only dim the peace. Best to let it wash away.

The last few remaining conflicts inside me shrink, and I open my eyes. Resolved and at peace with watching the man and woman cower in the face of the predators, that is good and natural. Nothing to disturb my peace.

Before the last of the strife surrenders to the peace, I catch the man's eyes. The striking bright blue eyes in a colorless world, that widen in horror as one of the predators go in for the kill.

Which can't happen.

It's a natural thing, but I don't want it to happen.

I need it not to happen.

I'm going to stop it.

My good peace shatters and explodes out of me. Conflicts and strife surging once again in me as I thrust my arm out. Letting the last of the shinning absolute flames inside burst out towards the predators surrounding the humans.

They fry to a crisp. The white flames reaching out to grab more. The creatures scamper away, leaving the humans both unharmed. I destroyed the peace, what is good and natural, for their sakes. Such a huge bad.

So the dying peace and my absolute flames fade and die out, that world shattering.

Shattering as my own scream breaks the last of the peace.

****

Yay! We are FINALLY at the climax here! Yes!

Ahem, so I kinda want to say one of those cheesy "This is the beginning of the end" things, but again, I feel like that's cheesy. Accurate, but kinda cheesy. But still, pain and suffering are on the horizon!

Any thoughts though about that pain and suffering? I'm curious, and I did hit a little bit of a block trying to write the next chapter. So feel free to share if you want.

I guess that pretty much wraps up this chapter though! As always, I hoped you enjoyed and I'll be back next week!