The day started like any other, people trudged through the streets with all manner of expressions, some walked listlessly as if heading to work had become an unconscious habit, some were excited for finding an opportunity to change their lives, and there were those who seemed to be pretty angry for whatever reason.
"French fries, please!"
And the inside of The Maiden's was not much different, just that almost everyone worked in the same kind of job.
Adventurers.
"French fries coming right up! Take your seat and prepare your tummy, we serve more than a dozen per request and they are all at least longer than your pinky!"
Cinthia answered with much enthusiasm, before assuming a thinking posture and speaking again.
"But, you know, aren't fries supposed to come accompanied by some other kind of food? A single portion won't fill your belly."
"Then just bring enough to fill it! Be it two or three portions, as long as they are fries, I'll eat them!"
The man, a customer that rarely came during Cinthia's shift, smiled widely and excitedly, forming a great contrast to his calm demeanor.
All the while asking just for fries for his lunch. People sure are weird.
"Huh? Sorry for the question, sir. But, are you... addicted to fries?"
"For now, yes. Been trying to get fired from my work for eons now, and, after today, I can finally take my leave."
He swiped his hand leisurely, Cinthia almost thought she heard him say something along the lines of 'good riddance'.
She was curious about this person now, he almost reminded her of her new best buddy, Verhund. He was just as weird, but he seemed a bit more... selfish? Self-centered?
She couldn't put her finger on it, Verhund just seemed much less human.
"So, you wish to celebrate the fact that you can finally stop working?"
"I do indeed."
Did adventuring become such a bad job in these last few years?
"And what kind of trouble did you get yourself into to be forced into mining work?"
"Mining? Well, I suppose you refer to this place's adventurers?"
"Indeed, this pub serves adventurers for the most part, it's hard to see anyone who's not in the trade. Could it be you're not one?"
"I am an adventurer, just that, until a while ago, I had two jobs. The other one is what I refer to. Though now that I think about it, both jobs do have an uncanny similarity to mining."
"I see. By the way, sir, what did you try to do to get fired?"
"Oh, that? Hmn, how to explain... To continue our mine analogy, let's say that I tried to collapse the cave on top of my colleagues, a lot of times."
Was this supposed to be an effective way to get fired? Perhaps if he didn't have to face the consequences. Things were getting stranger by the second.
"That's... quite a nasty method. What's wrong with your boss to allow someone like you to work?"
"I am quite good when I'm not trying to screw things up, mind you. Plus we were in a severe lack of manpower due to severely high requirements."
"I see... Wait. You said you managed to get fired?"
The man's smile now showed his teeth, the million-dollar question served as a trigger for him to stand up.
"My colleague blew things up for me, now I just need to run. Too much time has passed, a pity that I couldn't have those french fries. Still, that was a nice talk, thanks for your company, friend. Oh, and one last thing."
He threw a small object at Cinthia's hands, when she looked, she identified it as a charm in the form of an anchor.
She turned back to him, her eyes asking it all.
"That's my bomb, it should help you someday. Any last question?"
The ex-customer seemed quite random in his actions, everything he did and said expressed the void of a machine that was trying to act out of character: Good, but ultimately lacking.
Cinthia wasn't that much curious about his actions now, her attention being dragged towards her passion without her realizing. Still somewhat listless, she asked.
"What would your name be?"
His smile reduced and became faint, his eyes expressing confidence and wisdom.
"I'm Avgor Tris, miss Beirt. See you around."
Avgor calmly walked out of the pub, his presence wholly unnoticed by any other but Cinthia, who then looked on confusedly.
"My name is not Beirt?"
*Tremble*
A second passed as she stood there blankly, and then chaos unfolded.
*Boom*
A giant piece of stone came hurling at her, and orange flames tickled her hair.
"Cinthia!"
Grandma pulled the unfocused girl into the kitchen, seemingly saving her from harm, though the spells she chanted to close off the room said otherwise.
"Prostasía!"
*Vshh*
*KABOOM*
Cinthia was going out of control.
As a translucent film encased the entire kitchen, a wave of fire spread with the speed of an arrow, barely passing through the shield and scalding the closest of adventurers.
Fortunately, they were still alive, only suffering some nasty burns.
Unfortunately, Cinthia was still in flames.
*Vshhhh* *Crackle*
The protection spell whistled and cracked under the flames' licking, the powers from both sides were summoned through simple means but were somehow much more powerful than long cast powers, the fact that the clash happened in such an enclosed space made things even more terrifying.
"I'm sorry grandma..."
Feeling both hollow and fulfilled, Cinthia looked at the beautiful woman who raised her despite all the signs that she was a threat.
Honestly speaking, she loved her grandma dearly, and also the home they made together. If she could, she would spend the rest of her days like a lazy cat, walk here and there as she wanted, and crack jokes at every new sight.
She wanted it so.
*VOOOOSH*
The fire whispered in the air, overcoming the hasty protection and trying to leave once again.
Grandma was even faster, her body seemed immune to the fire as her hands leisurely held intricate floating geometric patterns - Aria - before her palms pointed towards the kitchen' exit.
"Aigís!"
*Vooosh* *Crackle*
As if a child against an adult, both fire and heat were instantly suppressed and contained inside the kitchen.
Stuck as it were, though, the blaze swiftly accumulated before striking out again, rebelling with newfound strength and showing results unexpectedly quickly.
"Taxidêvo ston kósmo!"
Before it could run out of control again, grandma decided to take them out of the city and to somewhere with no innocents around.
*CRACKLE* *SWISSSH*
Of course, things didn't work out well, just as the last adventurer left the pub, the flames started to feast on the magic surrounding it to further strengthen itself.
Although the incident that triggered the current fight between the oldest Royal Elf and the impossibly ancient Fire Spirit mainly served to let monsters loose in the city, the leftover mana was tremendous and served to augment the strength of anyone capable of manipulating wild mana.
Mainly spirits.
*BOOM*
The fire went from orange to blue and the heat emitted rose exponentially, the enchanted kitchen that held Cinthia's flames from spreading immediately collapsed before being sent flying by yet another explosion.
Where before there was life and liveliness, there was now silence and cinders.
Cinthia stood blankly amidst the left overs of her home, spiritless eyes locked on a random spot of what was once a popular pub.
*Growl*
The fire increased in intensity yet again. In contrast to Cinthia, it focused its attention on everything still standing, greed suffusing its entire being.
Able to contain itself no longer, the Spirit of Fire spread wantonly, aiming to engulf the entire city in an ocean of flames.
Although its movements seemed to have no rhyme nor reason, if looked from the sky it would become clear that the flames were focusing on reaching the massive hole that just opened close by.
During its passing, the Spirit made no distinction between cowardly deserters, kind rescuers, brave warriors and hapless innocents and cremated absolutely everything it came across, leaving tongues of fire for 'footprints'.
Not even the frenzied monsters were spared.
At the moment when the Spirit was so focused on its own gluttony that the guard around Cinthia was minimal, the debris on her side shot up as a figure dashed towards Cinthia, who was now smiling.
Although it instantly responded, the fire spirit was still too slow in front of the oldest of the elves.
"*Oh, Root of our World...*"
From grandma's mouth came the voice of chaos, a primal force that existed before logic and laws took place. It came and went in the exact same instance, yet it lodged itself in the heart of the listeners for eternity.
"*Cull the Rot and Kill the Poison!*"
As a language of chaos, it was perfectly understandable, but the meaning mysteriously escaped the grasp of lower beings.
"*Judgement!*"
A slender hand stretched towards Cinthia. Completely ignoring the defense of magical fire in front, It reached towards the girl's heart... and clenched!
*FWAAAAH!*
A wail reminiscent to that of a banshee could be heard throughout the district, bringing even more fear to the miraculous survivors of this tragedy.
After the cry, there was a moment of silence. Before a last spark of chaos.
*BOOOOM!*
The Spirit exploded in a deadly show of fireworks, showering one tenth of the city that was home for over three hundred thousands of people.
The center of all this tragedy, however, seemed as calm as a lake even as the heat melted metal and incinerated concrete. Cinthia kneeled in front of her disintegrating grandma, the rim of her eyes red, and tears evaporating as soon as they left her eyes.
Ever since the beginning of the short showdown, none of the two was even a bit affected by the might of the fire, one due to her affinity and the other with sheer strength. But now, after the mere use of an unknown skill, Cinthia's grandma was disappearing before her, her body rotting away before turning into dust and simply flying off.
It was hard to put the girl's feelings into words, but part of her definitely thought that things were happening too fast. Why couldn't she deal with these things later? Why did grandma have to die so soon, so suddenly? Why did she herself need to be a monster that lives in fire and takes down everyone's home?
Cinthia looked at her mother-like figure even as her mind drowned in self-destructive thoughts, the other's weary yet worried expression the only thing to calm her down.
Still, calming down didn't fix things, and as the fire turned from blue and back into orange before weakening further, Cinthia could only stay there, gazing blankly at the hands that should have been holding someone dear.