Touch of Flame

Ravina was in her worst nightmare again. The scene of her parent’s death, the loss of her sister, and many others. She was left alone, standing there and watching the once beautiful village that has been home to many, crumble. And somewhere there, her parent’s bodies were burned to ashes.

From all the fire and smoke rising into the air, Malachi stepped out of it, not the least injured by the fire or affected by the smoke that suffocated many to their deaths.

“What have you done?” She asked him.

He remained silent, his eyes burning with some unknown emotion.

“You ruined everything,” she told him, tears streaming down her face. She looked around. Why was she the only one alive? What would she do alone in this world?

She was left with this creature. The one who took it all away. Suddenly she walked toward him, then past him, her eyes focusing on the burning village.

She walked into the village, her clothes began to catch fire and the smoke burned her eyes and lungs. She gasped, suffocating slowly, and then she was back to reality with another gasp.

Ravina’s heart pounded in her chest. No wonder this was her worst nightmare. It hit hard just how horrifying it was and it had only been a few days since the last one. The pain in her chest traveled lower and lower, causing her to be sick.

She sat up, taking deep breaths to regulate the painful rhythm in her body. Her hands itched, reaching for the scars. Just one and it would be over. Just… one.

One!

No!

Stop!

Her body and breath trembled from the self-restraint squeezing painful tears out of her eyes. She rose hastily from her bed and went to her desk. She pulled a paper and pen and scribbled down her emotions, relaxing with every word she put away from her mind. And then she was able to breathe again.

Ravina looked at her horrible handwriting and put the paper and pen away. She turned around, looking through the window. The sky was a clear blue and the sun shone brightly, casting warm rays into the room.

Nako often came early, but Ravina decided to help herself since she was a mess right now. She released her aching breasts from their prison again, sighing with relief. Did dragon women really wear this to sleep? Perhaps it didn’t irritate them but she needed something more comfortable to sleep with.

She freshened up and then went behind the screen to change her clothes. As she took her time, wanting to give her body time to breathe a knock came from the door. It seemed like Nako finally came.

“Come in!” She called.

The sound of the door opening and closing followed and then footsteps followed.

“I am done soon,” Ravina said.

“Do you need help?” The voice startled her.

Malachi.

She was just tying her top at the front, not too tightly wanting to give her breasts a space to breathe. She chose the least restricting one.

Ravina had to look through the small springs because of his voice. She heard no teasing as usual when it came to such things. He was standing near the bed and had brought with him breakfast it seemed. He turned his head toward the screen when she forgot to reply.

“I am coming,” she whispered, unsure why, and then stepped out from behind the scream.

Her hair was still wet and as usual, it would take time to dry because of the length. She was growing tired of it. Still, she pushed it forward to cover her chest that didn’t have much support at the moment.

She looked ahead and met his gaze. They just stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.

“I have made breakfast,” he said, his voice wavering along with his gaze.

He grabbed the tray and went to the table with it. Ravina followed him awkwardly and sat on the couch. He sat on the other one and placed the cup of tea in front of her. “For headache, you might have after drinking.”

“Thank you,” she said although she had no headache from drinking. She barely had a cup of wine, but she let him believe she was intoxicated if he thought so.

She was just unable to walk after he allowed her to walk off her stubbornness. Her leg could not carry her anymore and she had begun to wobble. And then she was merely raw and tired, the memories of her parents after talking about them had made her miss them immensely. Made her yearn to have the connection they had.

Picking up the cup, she swallowed the lump of sadness that crept up her throat. Malachi sipped his tea in silence as well.

Last night was not easy for any of them. She had just been frustrated with his kind gestures, helping her and gifting her yet acting as if they had no history. Maybe like her he just wished things would disappear into thin air, but they wouldn’t. She had waited for him to say something about it. Just anything. Explain. Acknowledge. She even remembered asking him to defend himself.

Ravina was glad he finally told her something. She was glad to see the pain in his eyes. She was glad to know that he was haunted by it. That meant he had a conscience at least. That he was aware of and affected by his actions. Knowing this meant more to her than any kind gesture or gift.

Putting her cup away, “did you get any sleep?” She asked.

He kept staring at his cup. “I tried,” he admitted then looked at her. “And you?”

“It was bad,” she admitted.

“I wish I could help you with it,” he told her.

“Well, perhaps you can play the flute next time,” she said. It seemed to help him as well.

He looked surprised and then his eyes narrowed with some unknown emotion. “I thought you would be angry with me this morning.”

“Because of what you said?”

“Yes.”

She couldn’t be angry at him for sharing his feelings. Then he would never share again.

“I am not.”

“Why not?” He asked.

Because she was mostly sad for him. Sad for the person he was and what it had done to him, sad that he had such parents; one that encouraged such acts and one too passive to set her sons straight. Sad that he fell prey and became a predator.

She was also sad because of other things. She knew he didn’t tell her everything, but this would do for now.

“Because you told me how you felt,” she replied.

He gazed at her for a long moment, searching her eyes for something. Then he looked away, pushing the tray closer so she would eat the food.

A knock on the door interrupted then and Mara peaked inside. She looked at Malachi,” they are here,” she whispered.

They?

Malachi turned to her. “I forgot. I promised to play with my cousin’s children for a while today,” he explained.

“I understand.”

He excused himself, telling her to take her time to eat, and left. Ravina ate what she could and decided to take the rest to the kitchen.

“Oh no. Don’t fall with it,” Mara said meeting her halfway in the hall. She took the tray from her. “I prepared a chair for you outside in case you want to sit and watch the game.”

“Game?”

“They are playing different games outside at the back of the house, near the river.”

Ravina nodded. She made her way to the back of the house, hearing laughter as she walked outside.

Joel and Malachi were playing with many children, helping them jump rope. Aaron came from nowhere, jumping in and his brothers tried to make him fail by making him jump fast but he kept up very well. These big men were not slow.

Joel then pulled the rope so it got stuck between his brother’s legs.

“What are you doing? You are not a child! Get away!” He told Aaron.

“Your boring uncle has spoken,” he told the children.

“Am I boring?” Joel asked them.

They shook their heads.

“But I am more fun,” Aaron told them and they agreed.

“You two should jump so we can decide,” Malachi suggested and the children got excited. They began to jump and the children counted cheering for their favorite uncle.

Aaron won and then they asked Malachi to jump. They were so competitive that they all made preparations before jumping. It was funny. Malachi even let one of the girls put his hair in a ponytail when she told him to win.

Ravina found herself smiling when the girl placed a girly pink hairband in his hair and he began to jump with the pink fur on his head. They looked silly, but at this moment they looked like happy brothers finally spending time together without any resentment or blame. But where were the other two? Would they join?