Steem Monsters Rare Card Fantasy Story Contest! // Week 1 - Malric Inferno

So glad we have the chance to make up some more stories! Rare cards, here we go! Malric is one of the coolest card drawings for me; here is my story!

Flavour text:

Fire runs in my veins... ancient fire, the one that burns deep within the Burning Lands. Creatures of flame, hear my calling!

The Fire Within

Why do they call you inferno, Malric?

I smilled when I heard the question. And the answer brought me back to my home village, 20 years ago, when that name was born.

All the Ferexians have some sort of fire affinity, but a few of the members of the Haruk-tai people, my people, are special. Some can manipulate fire, some are immune to it, some can sense it miles away; yet, no one knows how the fire essence will manifest... if it does happen at all. Some tribes have quite a few of these “chosen ones”, others not so much. Those were the tales I grew up hearing at my little village, in the outskirts of the fire mountain.

My tribe had none. Well, the village elder supposedly could conjure fireballs, but he had left the village long before I was born and was never heard since, so I had never seen it... and in those days, I couldn't care less. I was just 9, more interested in chasing the little fire lizards that roamed in the woods near the village, or playing in the streets with the other kids.

---

I remember that that as clearly as it was yesterday. It was a warm summer day, even warmer than usual; not a cloud in the sky to be seen. Most of the village inhabitants were gone, doing the preparations for the solstice celebration in the near village, that would happen a few days from there. As usual in those days, I had my breakfast and went with my big sister, to play in the woods. She betted that she could get a fire lizard faster than me! Aha!

Off we were, running like crazy through the streets, laughing at the antecipation of chasing the poor creatures. But we were in for a disappointment. Not a single one could be found! All morning!

Strange, isn't it? I asked my sister. They were alll over the place yesterday!

Maybe some of them warned the others that you were coming, Malric, she chucled, and they all hid!

Humpf! I kicked a little rock in frustration... and an instant after... a loud scream.

Both of us stood in shock. It came from the village!

Hurry! My sister said.

We ran to the village as fast as we could. Who screamed? And what happened?

---

I remember the fear growing in me in those couple of minutes that took us to get back. The screams intensified as we grew closer, and it wasn't just one person screaming now; my sister grabbed my hand and I almost fell trying to keep up with her.
But as soon as we reached the first houses, the other villagers were running back... away from the village.

Run to the woods, children!

But what is happen... my sister started.

RUN!!

I still felt the push in my had from my sister... but by then, I couldn't move, my feet clenched to the ground, unable to take my eyes from the roaring beast that had appeared from behind the big white house.

The roaring beast was huge. Strong, scaly legs with razor sharp claws, snapping its tail as it took one step, then another... and one by one, each one of the seven heads turned in my direction, the seven pairs of golden eyes looking at mine.

A Hydra, i was told later. A fierce monster, obeying to no lord, that spreads havoc whenever it chooses to appear.

Those split seconds were the only ones In that day I couldn't recall so clearly. I don't remember if my sister was carried by another villager, if I told her to run, or if she just had to let go of my hand as the burning started.

But I remember not being afraid. The fear that grew in my chest as we were running to the village simply vanished. In fact, I don't remember feeling anything at all... except the heat.

Motionless, my body began to heat. The chest at first, a tiny fiery sensation that grew... and from the center of my body, in a heartbeat the sensation spread to every little fiber of my being. Only when I saw the flames that surrounded me, was I woken up from my numbness.

My hands were on fire.

My legs were on fire.

I WAS fire.

The beast hadn't moved an inch; some of the heads were still staring at me, while others were looking at the flames that were spreading all around; I could feel its surprise.

Apart from the flames, something else was changing too. Faint at first, but as the seconds passed, I could no longer ignore the presence of different beings all around; beings I never knew existed, and yet I could feel them. They were near... and were getting closer.

---

And before the Hydra turned all its heads in my direction again and continued its march of chaos, before the flames engulfed everything around; before I could breathe for a few moments and try to realize what was happening... they were there.

A massive serpent was the first to appear, leaving a trail of smoke in its way, stopping a couple meters in from of me, facing the beast.

Up in the sky, a loud shriek, as the biggest bird I had ever seen in my life shadowed the blazing sun for a split second, flying above in narrow circles.

And as the feeling of presence of even more creatures grew, I faced the Hydra again. The golden eyes met mine for what seemed an hour, but probably took no more than a few seconds; and at the same time, all of the heads flickered the tongue, mumbling something in a language I had never heard before. There was only one world I could make up... Inferno.

And as suddenly as she appeared, she vanished into the village, never to be seen again.

The fire in my body ceased, as the creatures the grew nearer fell back to their origins. The flame serpent turned its body at me, staring for a brief moment before passing me by, into the woods again.

---

I don't know how much time it passed, as I stood there, staring at the spot where the Hydra was, still trying to make some sense of what had happened.

Only when I felt the hug of my sister, and the villagers gathering around me, did I returned to my senses.

From that day, I knew my life would change. You are a summoner, I was told, a gift very few Ferenxians possess; able to communicate with the fire beings, a natural commander of the fire armies and protector of our home.

And that's how my name was born.