Reign of Fire: Let's Make a Collage #17

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Readers who follow my blog know that I enjoy participating in @shaka's #letsmakeacollge contest. I also enjoy writing stories. This week I decided to combine two activities: @shaka's contest with a story writing contest offered by @calluna, #tellastorytome.

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The picture below was offered by @shaka. From this contestants were supposed to make a collage. My collage was created mostly by using plugins on GIMP. The dragon came from Pixabay,courtesy of kellepics.

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@shaka's picture:

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The prompt from @calluna, The Last Forest, is supposed to belong to a science fiction, horror or fantasy genre.

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From these prompts grew my story. The picture at the top of the page is my entry into @shaka's contest. The story, inspired by the picture, is my entry into @calluna's contest.

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The Reign of Fire

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"Angelica, we must commence without Anselmo. The risk of lingering is too great."

The speaker, barely visible in the glow of a small fire, enunciated his words with urgency.

Angelica responded firmly, "We cannot commence without Anselmo. He carries char from our last convocation. Continuity must be maintained. If Anselmo does not appear, we dissolve this unit and integrate into another."

As she finished her declaration, footsteps could be heard on the desiccated turf outside the ring of fire. Anselmo's familiar shape emerged.

"I had to take a circuitous path," he began breathlessly. "Sentries are everywhere. But they're not close by. We're safe, in the short term, anyway."

"Have you brought it?"

Angelica's manner made clear that everything was superfluous to this one event: the preservation of char.

Anselmo delivered a metal box, which Angelica opened immediately. Her smile, even in the distorting hue of flickering flame, reflected deep gratification. Anselmo continued to speak, though this had not been encouraged.

"You know I would not be here, Angelica, if I did not have it. They would have to kill me to take it. "

There was defensiveness and even defiance in his tone. A murmur of assent rose from the assembled, as all knew of Anselmo's courage.

Angelica did not acknowledge this sentiment. She took the box reverentially and carried it to the modest flame, around which the group was huddled. She removed the char and respectfully placed it on the fire. Her fingers were singed in the act, but she showed no sign of pain. On the contrary, as soon as the char was deposited, she seemed to fall into a trance. She drew close to the flame and sat on the ground. All present emulated her.

"Bring the young ones to the fore."

It was then, as they were brought to the front, that children could be discerned, their faces indicating an awareness that this was a solemn occasion.

"Let Oracle begin the recitation. The young must understand our mission and be prepared to carry on after we are gone."

Oracle assumed a position of prominence in the circle as he stood. Tall and slender, his hair fell in curls about his face. He began his recitation.

Year One, the time of Great Fires. Year 2003 by infidel reckoning. Throughout the months of that year, fires burned. They were impervious to human intervention. It was then that Ataries came into being. It was then that our Founder received his revelation: cleansing fire must consume everything before the righteous can rule the earth. We Ataries dedicate ourselves to cleansing fire.

Oracle fell silent and sat within the circle again. Angelica's voice punctuated the night.

"Warrior, speak, so that the young may know their duty."

A slight figure rose. Warrior threw back her shoulders and declaimed in resounding tones:

In thought and action we defend fire. We raise arms against those who resist. We slay, or we will be slain, as we make way for the gods of fire to carry on their work. Let fire be."

Warrior fell silent, and sat down. She became indistinguishable from the assembled. Only the children's face's were now visible in the night.

Angelica spoke once again.

"Prophet, rise and recite the doctrine."

Prophet separated herself from the circle. She turned her back to the fire, the only person that night to do so. She faced the children and began:

The infidel ascribe fire to science, to a warming planet. But truth, young acolytes, lies in power beyond the reach of humans. Fire gods rise from the earth itself. They materialize from air, and from the fog that descends at dusk. The corporeal essence of fire gods is a mystery we must accept, and defend. If you look some nights into the dark and study the mist, you may see an intimation of a god forming before your eyes. You may see flames spewing from the gods' talons and mouth. Should you perish from this, fear not, for in flame resides the kernel of rebirth.

Prophet looked into the face of each child to ascertain if the message had taken root. Satisfied at the effect of her words, she turned around and sat once again in the circle.

Angelica rose and addressed the assemblage: "We will wait for our fire to extinguish itself, and then, Anselmo, you will take the char and secure it until our next convocation. I ask now for volunteers to step forward. An assault has commenced on fire in Patagonia. There the last forest on earth may be found. The work of the fire gods must not be thwarted. It is nearly complete. But know this: whoever volunteers for this mission will likely not return."

Several figures silently separated themselves from the circle and formed a small group near Angelica. The sputtering fire at the center of the convocation did not last long after Angelica's call for volunteers. After the fire had died, an inky darkness fell and enveloped all of them. Anselmo deposited the char into the metal box. Volunteers followed Angelica on a journey to far-off Patagonia.

As the humans departed and pursued their separate paths that night, only silence and a bit of floating ash remained in the waning light of a clouded, crescent moon.

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So there you have it, the blended (seamlessly, I hope) prompts of @shaka and @calluna. Both of these contests are worthy of attention. They both challenge the creative spirit. I encourage everyone to check them out. Right now, there is a virtual gallery of art waiting for your perusal on @shaka's blog. There's even time to make an entry. Deadline not for many hours.

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