by Justin Wayne
***
The sheer force of the eruption threw Ulgvhen off his feet and away from the roiling flames that decimated the four meant to carry the meat. Through the pain of what he knew was a broken arm and leg, he opened his eyes and tried to stand. Over the roaring drone of the flames that had spread up the trees and grass he could hear a wailing, the likes of which that gripped his heart. He looked down with his blurred vision and saw Toric, crawling away from the campsite on all four, completely ablaze. He screamed and writhed about in agony in an attempt at extinguishing the flames, but the muscles in his arms and legs were already melting away and he could no longer move. Instead he lay still and cried out until that too was taken away from him.
So badly Ulgvhen wanted to jump to his feet and save his young comrade, but his arm and leg wouldn’t obey him and the shock of it made his good arm and leg shivering limbs with a mind of their own. He hollered over the whooshing of the flames and the crackling of his men’s corpses for Toric, but no reply came from the charred black form across from him. He cried out again and after a moment of silence came an answer.
“DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IS MY NAME, AND I SHALL BRING THEM TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE! FOR I AM UNLEASHED! AWAKENED AM I, AND RIGHTLY SO! FOR REVENGE SHALL BE MINE!”
Swallowed in fire and disfigured beyond recognition, face missing with a blackened skull where it once was, gripping his axe which glowed orange from the heat, Cleave Rend stepped out of the inferno.