Flame Ash Of War Novels & Stories

The ash burned my palm, but I didn't care. "You have to," he said, looking at me one last time with golden eyes that were slowly fading into gray. "For them. For us." The airships opened fire again. A rain of silver bullets chewed up the ground around us. Riven roared, his body exploding into a massive cloud of sentient ash. He flew into the sky, a dark storm hitting the first airship head-on. The metal groaned and snapped as the ash clogged its engines, sending the massive ship spiraling into the cliffs.

The world spun, and then I was no longer standing on the ramparts—I was standing in Ashara’s ruin. Stone towers burned around me, their walls collapsing into ash that floated like snow across a blood-red sky. A woman stood in the heart of the fire, her silver eyes wild, her hair streaked with soot and flame. She raised her hands to the heavens, and the earth cracked at her feet, screaming beneath her power. Ashara. Her presence blazed through me, not as a ghost but as memory alive, and the shard forced me to watch.

This wasn't even close to enough payback. He sat down again. But his thoughts drifted to three years back, the day of the fire. He had charged into the flames, pulled a trembling, tear-streaked girl from a blackened corner. Everyone she loved had died that day in the fire. From then on, he became the only light in her life. And she never knew it was him who brought on the darkness. His brow furrowed. It had always been him. Every single nightmare had been his doing. He couldn't take it anymore. Without another word, he threw open the car door and ran.

The flames blazed brighter, consuming the darkness until nothing remained but ashes. The battlefield fell silent, the echoes of the battle fading into the wind. Elysia stood amidst the smoldering remnants, her chest heaving and her body battered. The price of victory had been high, but the realm was safe once more.

NATHAN'S POV The battle was over, but the aftermath had its own weight. And yet, in the stillness that followed, I felt something I hadn’t in years – peace. Ash drifted from the final bonfires, where we burned the remnants of what the old regime had left behind – spying scrolls, corrupted records, tainted silver weapons. The scent was harsh, but cleansing. A new beginning forged in flame.

“She’s using me to summon *it.*” “What is *it*?” Kael asked, already drawing his blade. “The First Flame,” Ashara said. “The one that burned the gods. The one even time fears.” Suddenly, the thirteen cloaked figures raised their arms and began chanting louder. The ash ring blazed. The mirror screamed. Kael lunged. The battle erupted. Callen and Lyra engaged the cloaked figures. Aria stayed close to the children, her daggers flashing in the dim light. Kael reached the Prophetess, and their blades clashed with a deafening shockwave.

"Even the way you smell, sweet and wild like Fire Hill flowers." "Fire Hill flowers?" she said in a haze. His clothes were still warm from the fire, and even his skin was hot to the touch. "The wildflowers from my home. The Fire Hills of Russia. They are soft and sweet, not too much, just" He kissed behind her ear. "Right." She blushed, unable to stop smiling. "I smell like wildflowers?" He made a deep-throated purr against the column of her throat, and she dug her nails into his shoulders. "And your taste," he continued in a husky whisper as he kissed her again.

Meanwhile, the source of the smoke, a charred something, sat still in the frying pan on a not turned off stove. I would've slapped my face in desperation if I wasn't on the edge of choking. I went straight to the stove, turned it off, and then put the charred whatever in the bin. Susan turned to me, a guilty smile plastered across her face. “Hey, sleepyhead.” She coughed. I wasn't smiling. I was annoyed with her. “What is this, Grace? Are you trying to kill me by suffocation?” I snapped, pushing past her to open the window wider.

The Crimson Flame Lord let out a loud, mocking laugh. "You ignorant fools! Did you actually think that pedestal could hold unlimited names? The slots are finite. And since none of you want yours on there, I'll gladly take what you're leaving behind. "Once every last one of my Crimson Flame Cult members gets their name carved onto that stone, there won't be a single force left in this world that can stand above us!" A flicker of dry amusement crossed Andrew's eyes. Then, he unleashed Godslayer in a relentless chain of strikes.

The next shot rings out. Control snapped as always sending heat coursing through my blood. The pain always feels so real. Flames leap across my vision. The ground below me turning to ash. The tree turned to char as the flames dance across the branches. Swallowing it whole. The swing falls and crumbles. Seeing the house begin to burn, the flowers long gone, the fire blazes around me, and my world goes black. Pain is the strongest reminder I was there. I open my eyes and look at my surroundings. Ashe covers the metal in black smudges. Yeah, I’m home. Letting my breathing return to normal I reach out and unlock the handle and push on the iron door.