Dael’s life continued from then normally with exception of not having any friends nearby for most of the time. After all, Thige had left for school at Tharana, which was rather far away. Thige had told Dael, he’d come back home least for a while each year. That wasn’t much and Dael was a bit bored and felt himself a bit lonely. Because he didn’t have much more to do, Dael began wandering and pass time in the forest next to the town – he kind of liked the silence and peace. Usually there were only couple woodcutters, but that’s all.
  - Mom! Dad! If you don’t have anything against it, I’d like to go out, Dael said after he finished his work at inn.
  - It’s fine, Lanna shouted. – We’ll be fine here.
  It was a perfect day; sun shined, but wasn’t too hot, sky was mostly clear with only couple white clouds. Additionally a slight breeze made air feel fresh. Forest was like green wall, when you looked it from far away, but Dael knew it wasn’t very thick when you got into it.
  Dael was heading to a certain place. He had found the place a bit further in the forest. There was a large rock and it was quite easy to climb on. It’s surface was perfectly shaped and was quite comfortable to lie on. Additionally the largest river in whole Cas Canthar, The Surge, happened to come down from the mountains nearby and from there it flowed trough whole land far to south and then flowed into sea. It got much stronger and bigger further to south, but it was quite big already right there next to Wood’s End. Dael liked to lie on the big rock and listen to the water. Right then the day really was perfect – like everything was in harmony – so Dael fell asleep.
  One would think sleeping like that in peaceful and perfect place could give you good dreams. True, usually that would be the case … but something was wrong this time. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but felt like something close to it. Dael saw only flashing images that he didn’t understand, faint sounds he didn’t hear too well and all the while he felt like danger was approaching and that he should run.
  Dael woke up.
  - Huh, what was that, Dael muttered as he sat up. – Just a nightmare, I’m sure.
  Then he noticed he had slept lot longer than he had intended. Dael realized very soon that he had been sleeping for hours at least. It wasn’t evening yet, but nearly – sun was going to set within few hours.
  - I better get going home, Dael muttered and jumped down and ran back home.
  As soon as Dael walked in trough the door, Lanna came.
  - Where have you been? Lanna asked. – I was getting worried!
  - Uhm, I just fell asleep, Dael answered. – Sorry. I wasn’t going to sleep that long!
  - It’s ok. I was just worried that’s all. We got a lot of customers today. I think Aern wanted you to help him make some more Fire Soup.
  - Ok, I’ll go help him.
  Later in the evening, when Dael was already well tucked in bed and already dozing off, he happened to hear something about his parents telling him something next day, but he didn’t really pay much attention to that.
  Dael didn’t sleep too well that night. He could sleep for a moment, but he kept waking up almost like someone was trying to shake him awake all the time. He didn’t give up and tried to shake away the feeling and finally it did work. The dreams from the forest were still there, but now more understandable.
  In his dream, Dael was right there at the inn. He wandered in the corridors that seemed to extend into infinity – door after door and no end in sight. Yet, Dael calmly walked forward. He began hearing faint sounds. At first he didn’t realize what it was, but it was getting louder for sure. In addition to the sound, the corridor was getting a bit brighter with reddish light. Suddenly Dael realized what the noise was – it was screaming! He got very afraid then and turned around, but the corridor behind him was on fire. It was getting very hot!
  Dael woke up in loud crash.
  He jumped up from his bed, picked up his necklace and went to his window. It was still night so the flames were easily seen as they lit up whole area outside. Whole inn was on fire and shouts and screams could be heard everywhere. He also spotted several people lying on the ground and then he realized they were dead people. Dael jumped back a bit in sudden burst of fear. What was happening?! What was he going to do?! First thing that came into his mind was to run find father and mother. They’d know what to do!
  The corridor outside of his room was slowly filling with smoke, but no fire yet. Dael began beating the door to his parent’s room. They opened the door right away – they must have woken up in the same noise as Dael did.
  - Dael! Aern said. – Get some clothes fast from your room. We can’t stay up here for long! Upper parts of this building is made out of wood!
  Dael followed the orders immediately. He ran back into his room and picked his pants and shirt, but that was all including his necklace. Back in corridor his parents were already waiting. Aern had a sword in his hand. Dael knew Aern had been soldier at some point, but he hadn’t ever seen any weapons. Aern had angry and determined expression. Also Lanna didn’t look so calm anymore; she also had the same look.
  - Let’s go, Aern said.
  As they all were making their way down the stairs the heat was getting stronger. Reason was clear, the corridors on lower levels were already burning.
  - Couldn’t we jump trough windows? Dael asked.
  - No, Lanna said. – The ladders were broken when I checked. Also balconies on lower levels were mostly in flames. If we tried going down, they could fall down under our feet.
  - We will have to run trough here, Aern said and pointed the corridor. – It seems the stairs down aren’t burning yet. Cover yourselves and run. Be careful, the floor might be weakened.
  They ran trough and luckily nothing happened. Several doors had been open and Dael saw the rooms already in flames from floor to ceiling. Stairs to first level seemed to be in good enough shape to take their weight, but they still walked down carefully.
  The horror was waiting right there in the first level. As they stepped from the stairs, burning inferno greeted them. Parts of the ceiling had come down and there were several motionless corpses to be seen. Dael looked at one of the corpses and it was already blackened and burned beyond recognition. Dael shivered and tried to avoid seeing any more of the dead.
  - The back door, Aern said swiftly after examining their situation for a moment.
  They ran trough the room and opened the door, but the way to backdoor was already blocked. Beams had come down and with them everything they had kept up. There was no way trough there.
  - Maybe we could reach the front, Lanna said.
  - Lounge was completely in flames, Aern said. – We can’t get trough there without burning ourselves.
  - What about the garden? We might be able to get outside from there.
  - That might work…it is right next to kitchen which we can reach only from lounge, but it is lot closer than the front door. We might be able to avoid fires.
  So they returned the way they came. After opening the door to lounge area, heat and smoke burst everywhere. Dael saw the roaring fire in the lounge and ignored the dead in there.
  - Come, Aern said. – There is a way just next to the wall.
  Dael had to cover his face with his arms so he could take the heat. When they were at midway to kitchen door, some of the lounge ceiling came down crashing. Lot of smoke, ash and sparks burst out, but it didn’t block their way. What did block their way was kitchen door.
  - It’s blocked! Aern shouted and beat the door for a bit. – I don’t think we can go back! We have to open this. Stand back, I’ll try to use my powers on it.
  Dael and Lanna stood back a bit when Aern began working. Dael felt many times presure and movement of the hot air. The door seemed to start cracking finally, but Aern was getting tired.
  - Stay here, Dael, Lanna said and went to help.
  Dael was too scared to answer in any way, but he waited. He watched as Aern and Lanna both pushed the door – Lanna with her physicals strength and Aern with his powers. Suddenly the door cracked and opened. Aern and Lanna both went in for a moment and looked if it was alright to go that way.
  - Dael, come! Lanna shouted at the door. – It looks safer here!
  That was the last time Dael saw either his mother or father. The roof came down suddenly right at the door. Dael just stood still and he heard only the last screams of his parents echoing again and again in his mind. He was alone in a burning room. No way out. No one alive. Dael was too afraid to even cry. The fire was spreading and blocking even the way they had come from. He had to move when fire came closer and closer. The hot reddish light reflected on the stone held in the necklace and made it look like it was alive. Dael grabbed it like as a memory if his parents and gained some courage to move. He hoped maybe his father had been wrong and he could get trough the front door. He took only few steps until even more of the roof came down just right on him.
  
  *******
  
  Light. Eye blink. More light.
  Dael woke up in a soft bed. Sun was shining brightly in the room trough window. He had no idea where he was. Despite just waking up he still felt somewhat weak and closed his eyes and slept.
  When Dael woke up again he noticed a man with white robe next to him. He let out a silent groan. The man noticed him and examined Dael after which he took a jar and took gooey, but kind of fresh smelling, stuff out and put it on Dael’s arm – it stung a bit. He moved a bit.
  - It’s for the burns, the man said.
  Dael let him do his job silently. There had been something in the mans voice…a bit of sorrow?
  - Where am I? Dael asked. – Where are mom and dad?
  - It’s me, Firkirt, the man said. – Surely you remember me. I’m Wood’s End healer, after all.
  - Where are mom and dad? Dael asked again.
  - … hmmm, do you have any relatives? Firkirt asked.
  - Not that I know of. Uncle died in some struggle few years ago.
  Dael didn’t actually remember much. Everything was a bit cloudy. He could remember the fire, but nothing what happened.
  Firkirt didn’t look at Dael when he spoke.
  - I’m sorry, he began. – By a miracle you survived the fire. Your family’s inn burned down to the frames. Nothing was left. We thought everyone died, but when people came to search the ruin, they found you. Excluding you, everyone we found were dead and burned beyond recognition. If your parents were still alive, wouldn’t they be here?
  Suddenly everything returned to Dael’s mind. He could see again how the roof came down. He could hear the screams once again.
  - The roof…, Dael whispered. – It came down. Mom was…
  Firkirt nodded silently.
  Dael began crying. He didn’t have anyone or anything left…except the red stone which was still tied around his neck. He grabbed it and cried. When Firkirt attempted to comfort, Dael pushed him away with his arm. He was just saying something when he noticed his arm. It was badly burned; reddish scar tissue was covering most of it. He looked further; legs, chest, head all the way up to top and very little hair left. Why wasn’t it hurting at all…why didn’t he feel anything?
  - You were…horribly burned, Firkirt said. – When you were brought here, I at first thought you were dead for sure. But people who brought you said you breathed… I was so sure they were mistaken, but when I checked I noticed it too. You…you breathed – you were alive. I have given you strong medicine that will take the pain away. I’ll keep giving it to you until you have healed as best your body can manage it. I won’t lie to you, Dael…you will be left scarred for life, but you are alive.
  A feeling that Dael rarely felt made its way into his heart. Pure burning hate and anger.
  - Why?! Dael muttered silently still keeping his hatred inside. – What happened?!
  The healer looked Dael into eyes for a moment.
  - You have right to know, Firkirt said. – Several hours after the incident a group of our soldiers appeared. They said they had been trying to reach group of druid infiltrators. We found several plant growths which showed some unnatural tampering near your inn. Apparently these attacks have been happening all around Cas Canthar. I don’t know why, but they attack villages and towns, cause havoc and flee. Your inn wasn’t the only place that got burned, but surely suffered most damage.
  - WHY! WHY OUR INN! WHY!
  - … you know they are monsters. They must have wanted to kill as many as they could. Inn’s have most people in them. Who knows what they think.
  - I will kill them all, Dael said silently, but the voice was filled with his overflowing hate, but otherwise emotionless. – When I’m old enough, I’ll find each and every one of them. Then I’ll kill them. None will escape! This is my oath!
  Firkirt nodded.
  Dael became very silent. He ate very little and wanted to be alone and pretty much just lied in the bed and waited for his wounds to repair themselves. Before so well mannered boy became cold and seemingly angry at everyone and even good hearted Firkirt who just wanted to help Dael, had to endure bursts of anger. Very soon everyone began avoiding Dael, but that was just perfectly fine to him.
  Finally he was alright enough to get up from the bed. Dael didn’t hate himself or even the scars – they just reminded him of what he wanted and to him it felt good. There were other types of scars too that the fire had left on him – not on body, but mind.
  One day Dael happened to walk into a room where fire was burning in a fireplace. He stopped immediately. He just stared the fire with round eyes. Cold shivers went trough his spine and he began feeling sudden dread. Only after he basically ran out of the room, the feeling subsided. By that doing that, he had almost bumped into Firkirt.
  - What is it now? Firkirt asked.
  - That’s not your business! Dael snapped and was ready to walk away.
  - I can tell something is wrong, Firkirt pointed out.
  - There is nothing wrong and, if there was, it wouldn’t be anything I’d tell you. Get lost.
  Firkirt snorted and left and for that Dael was happy. He didn’t certainly want everyone to know what he had already realized. He was afraid of fire … very afraid. Anyway, Dael told himself it wouldn’t matter much, he could survive without it and that he just had to forget everything that included burning druids.
  Dael’s stay at healer lasted for a while due to nature of his injuries – but not forever. One day he was wandering around the place where the inn had been. All that was left was blackened parts of stone walls. Upper levels had burned away, but parts of first level still stood. No doors, no floor, no roof – just blackened stones. He thought what remained of the inn, depicted his life quite well – all that was left were ruins. Dael went there because there he was left alone – usually. That particular day, he wasn’t left alone.
  A pair of people, young man and about same age woman, came with Firkirt to look for Dael. He had, of course, noticed them lot earlier, but couldn’t care less so he just ignored their whole existence…for a moment.
  - Dael! Firkirt yelled. – Are you here?
  - What do you want? Dael answered. – If this is about those jar’s I broke, all I’m going to say is that I don’t care.
  - No, Dael, this isn’t about it. You are as healthy now as you can get under my watch. We had to begin considering your future. Now that you don’t have …
  - Get to the point!
  - … fine, if that is what you want. You will go with these people here and they will take you to Bawekhaam’s orphanage. It’s rather large town few weeks travel from here – just a few days travel from Tharana. Now let’s get you cleaned; you have smeared yourself on the soot around here.
  - You are joking, right?!
  - About what? The bath?
  - NO! The orphanage. I’m not going anywhere!
  - You are quite feisty for ten years old boy, said the woman who had come with Firkirt. – Answer me this: where else would you go? Become some sort of street kid who steals each meal?
  If the woman had known Dael better, she had shut up about any possible options. To Dael it sounded quite good idea, actually. That way he’d learn to survive on his own and become strong! Then he thought once he is old enough, he would go to enlist to army or possibly leave Cas Canthar and start hunting random wandering druids.
  - Yeah, sure, why not? Dael said and went where the man and the woman were waiting. Dael thought to himself that it would be best to start learning skills of a thief right away. Besides, he wasn’t that stupid and knew he was going to need some tools. The man had a little knife on his belt which was probably used on ordinary daily needs for it was too small to be a real weapon – just something that a thief could use, Dael thought. – You can go back to that dusty hole of an orphanage. I’m not coming.
  Before anyone could say or do anything, Dael swiftly kicked the mans leg and grabbed the knife. Then Dael sprinted straight towards the forest jumping behind any obstacles on his way to prevent anyone from catching him with use of their powers. Dael considered himself very smart once he was far enough for anyone to reach him. He knew the forest quite well and there he had the advantage.
  Dael had very little intention of staying there at Wood’s End. Everyone knew him and people would start looking for him. Besides his new profession was going to be easier if, the place he was going to stay at, was big. More people – more things to take. Dael had always wanted to see Tharana so that was where he was going to go! Encouraged by his decision he resolutely began walking to the direction he knew was right … and that was pretty much everything he knew about directions.