Somewhere in forgotten ruins situated on a desolate plain devoid of life a young man was laying on a cold stone floor. He would be considered handsome, tall and athletic as he was, but he was currently covered in soot, ash and grime. His short hair, normally golden and thick, was now covered in dirt, clumped together and sticked to his forehead. His clothes, while not particularly flashy, were of good quality: a gray cotton shirt underneath a black coat, a thick linen trousers held by a belt with a metal clasp and leather shoes. The man was laying motionless, until a ray of light hit his face, then he stirred.
Calen felt like shit, to put it lightly.
He was thirsty, sore all over, completely dirty and the mark on his wrist was burning, but that wasn't even the worst part. As his consciousness slowly came back he realised he wasn't in his bedroom, but on a floor of dark, damp room.
Slowly and painfully, he sat up, dusted himself off and looked around the room. There was only one source of light, a small circular window right above the door, but it was enough to discern the general appearance of the room. It was made of big stone bricks and almost devoid of furniture, instead there were various boxes, barrels and various strange objects wrapped in fabric. The chamber was clearly some kind of storage, albeit a very old and neglected one, everything was rotting and falling apart. After he was done inspecting the room, he tried to recall what he was doing before he woke up here.
He remembered that he was running errands for his teacher, apparently they have run out of parchment for magic scrolls, as well as magic infused ink. Under normal circumstances the whole trip would have taken him only fifteen minutes, but for some reason every single shop in the residential district has ran out of the things he was looking for, so he had to go to a proper store in the commercial district. It took him a while, but hew got everything he needed. When he was on his way back suddenly the earth shook, there was a deafening noise and a blinding light... and that's the last thing he remembered. What happened? Was his teacher okay? Were his friends safe?
As a flood of questions filled his mind, something moved slightly in the corner of his vision.
He turned his head and to look for the source of movement and realised that what he had previously assumed to be a piece of furniture wrapped in fabric was in fact a giant man covered in a tattered cloak quietly sitting on a rotten chair, his large misshapen hand gripping a cane fashioned of a gnarled branch. His face was covered by a heavy hood casting deep shadows over it's inhuman features, only a pair of yellow, glimmering eyes was clearly visible. While the man's body was strange and disfigured, the gaze that fell on Calen was calm and intelligent, it wasn't enough to put his guard down but it stopped him from attacking his assumed-to-be kidnapper on sight.
"You are awake. I want to apologise for your physical state, my body is far too weak to carry someone so I had to drag you here" The stranger's voice was gruff, bestial almost.
Cal considered how to respond for a while, and then finally asked:
"Why did you bring me here? And where are we anyway?"
The hooded figure chuckled. Or at least it tried, the sound was somewhere between growling and coughing.
"I shall explain everything, young Ashbound. First of all I allow me to introduce myself - I am Koravel, a former Archmage." The man stood up with the help of his cane and did an awkward half-bow, the gesture clearly putting significant strain on his body, then sat down again and continued. "We are currently in one of my safehouses, as you can see it's current state is hardly suitable as living quarters but it is far away from any prying eyes. The reason why I brought you is complicated, and I know it may shock you, but I implore you to wait with all your questions until after I am done explaining."
Cal thought for a little while and then nodded.
"It all started when I was in the royal palace, a crack in the fabric of space appeared, right in the middle of the throne room. Before anyone noticed it, it grew to a gaping hole, from which untold horrors came. The enemies not only took us by surprise but they were also unlike anything else we ever faced, everything they touched rot, turned to dust or got twisted beyond recognition. Within minutes the royal palace was overrun by the assailants, spreading their corruption wherever they went, and what was even worse is that those who succumbed to their powers were turned into mindless puppets attacking their former comrades. After they wiped out everyone who could fight back they took the king and did something to him."
Koravel shuddered slightly.
"That was when the world as we knew it ended. The passage they came through exploded with malignant energy that swallowed the kingdom and all the lands beyond. The sun dimmed as if during an eclipse, most of the animals died on the spot and horrors that previously appeared only in nightmares took their place. The Invaders and their creations thoroughly culled the human population within a week, they made the world unrecognisable practically overnight and there was no one who could have stopped them."
They were both silent for a while. Finally Calen decided to ask the most important question:
"So why don't I remember anything like that?" After a second he added: "And if what you're saying is true, how am I alive?"
"Very valid questions. While I cannot say what exactly happened, it appears someone has put up a stasis barrier over your entire town. It prevented the invaders from approaching while simultaneously freezing everything in time, the barrier will deteriorate with time of course, but it has held so far. Someone very powerful must have created it, because it took everything I had to pull you out of that spell."
"That was probably my teacher..."
"Do you perhaps know his name? I know that mages, especially the powerful ones, are not particularly forthcoming with their identities"
While it might seem like a strange question it was in fact completely reasonable, many mages didn't reveal their real names even to their apprentices. Fortunately, Calen's master wasn't very paranoid and was quite open about his identity.
"His name is Alarion, or at least that's what he told me"
Koravel's head raised a little and his eyes lit up slightly the hood.
"It's good to know he is still alive, I have not seen him for many centuries." then he became grim again "Unfortunately it is unlikely we will meet again in this world."
As if on cue, he descended into a violent coughing fit, each breath sending him into convulsions. He collected himself relatively quickly but Calen didn't miss the drop of a viscous dark liquid that streamed down his chin and fell on the floor. Koravel didn't seem particularly worried and continued:
"As I was saying, your entire town is stuck in a stasis barrier. I used all that was left of my magic to pull you out of it and wake you up. Do you know why I did it?"
"Probably because of this"
Calen pulled up his left sleeve and presented his inner arm. Just below the wrist there was an unusual mark, an image of jagged sun. At a glance it looked just like any other tattoo, but upon closer inspection one could see that the surface of the skin was charred, almost like a burn mark.
"Yes, because of this. Do you know what this mark means young man?"
"I... I think so?"
He knew that he wasn't the first one to recive it, as well as that there could only ever be one person with the mark at any given time. He also knew that it was the symbol of the Sun God, and it made him the Flamebearer, someone who could inherit the divine flame. How he was supposed to find said flame, he did not know, nor what he was supposed to do with it afterwards, for that matter.
Koravel sighed, and said:
" I would love to share everything that I know about it with you, but I simply cannot." He paused here and looked Calen in the eye.
The message was quite clear, something, or someone, was preventing him from sharing his knowledge. Soon, Koravel continued:
"What I can tell you, is that situations like the one our world is currently in is the exact reason people are chosen to bear the mark. The divine flame may be the only thing that can rid the world of the corruption permanently."
"That's all nice and great but how does one find the divine flame? It's not exactly something that can be found in a random torch or campfire."
Instead of responding, Koravel reached under his cloak and pulled out a small object. Hanging on a short chain was an elegant lantern made of dark, dull metal, it's insides lit up by a small, golden flame. The fire provided much more warmth and light than it should be possible, especially in the darkness of the damp storage room. Calen was astounded.
"Is that really it? Just like that? There's no epic quest, or a nebulous entity that wants me to take a magical trial determining the purity of my heart? You simply hand it to me?"
A crooked smile appeared on Koravel's face, Calen's reaction amusing, even if somewhat understandable.
"While it is indeed the divine flame, it is also not as simple as just taking it. It is currently far too weak and feeble to be inherited, it must be strengthened significantly before you will be able to draw out it's true power"
Calen raised an eyebrow
"And how does one strengthen the divine flame?"
"By providing it with appropriate fuel, of course. Unlike regular fire it doesn't need to be sustained, but it will need nourishment to grow. Would you care to guess what does it use as fuel?"
Calen thought for a second, and then shook his head.
"The divine flame represents light and warmth, but also destruction and suffering, and it just so happens there is one thing in this world that embodies all of those aspects... "
Calen finally understood and his expression darkened.
"Life. The flame needs to feed on lives to grow."
"Yes. However you should not worry, with the current state of the world there are many monsters that need slaying, and the flame cares not for the source of the life it claims. Whether it is a human or one of the Withered, the fire burns all."
Calen didn't know what a Withered was, but it wasn't important at the moment as the last sentence carried a terrible implication:
"...Were there Flamebearers who gained power by murdering people?"
The sad expression on Koravel's face was enough of an answer. Not wanting to dwell on the topic he quickly changed the topic:
"So... how do I even use the flame? Do you happen to have an instruction under that cloak as well?"
His voice was sarcastic, but he wouldn't be completely surprised if the old giant did in fact posses a set of printed rules and guidelines for the mythical power.
"I am afraid I do not posses anything like that, but I have read many records and know enough to guide you through the basics."
Koravel extended the arm holding the lantern, gesturing for Calen to take it. It was light, surprisingly so, but what was even weirder is that he felt theflame inside, not through sight or touch but in a way that he couldn't quite explain, almost as if he had an additional sense.
"Let us start with the basics, your ability to use the flame depends on three factors: the power of the flame, your willpower and the strength of your vessel. We already discussed the flame so we will move on to the next one, since you studied under Alarion I assume you can use a fair bit of magic?" Calen nodded and he continued. "There is quite a bit of an overlap between the usage of magic and controlling the divine flame, magic is all about exerting your will upon the world and it's very similar here, the only difference is that you have to use the flame to influence the world, rather than doing it directly. The final part won't matter until you actually inherit the flame and make it your own, but it is better to be prepared. The vessel is your body, it needs to be strong enough to contain the power. There are many ways to enhance one's mortal shell and I am sure you will discover at least a few during your journey. You must make sure to keep those aspects in balance, only they will you be able to reach your true potential."
"That sounds... complicated."
"Maybe if you get to test it you will understand better. You are in quite a sorry state, try to will the flame to cleanse you, without destroying your clothes. You do not have to worry about burns, the mark will protect you."
Calen concentrated on the strange feeling he was getting from the flame, and mentally ordered it to wrap itself around him. Almost instantly the flickering fire flowed out of the the lantern, and covered his entire body. Then, slowly at first, the dirt, grime and ash started disappearing, and just a few seconds later, he was completely clean, including his clothes.
Koravel looked at him silently for a few seconds, and then warned him:
"You must be careful when controlling it, for the flame follows all of your commands, both conscious and not. On the bright side it means you won't hurt your allies on accident, but it also means that should you confront someone you deeply hate, the fire might strike out on it's own. That's why you must be always mindful of your thoughts from now on."
"I understand. However, I still have one question."
Koravel tilted his head with a small smile.
"Just one?"
"I was frozen in time, and you talked about that invasion as if it was ancient history... How long exactly has it been?"
The giant's face fell.
"I was afraid you would ask that question, as difficult as it might be to believe..."
Koravel looked at him with a grim expression.
"The world has ended almost 500 years ago."