Dread Mage

As the fire spread, the crackling of wood and the hissing of embers filled the air, drowning out the sounds of the fleeing inhabitants of the forest. The flames carved a path of destruction that was both mesmerizing and terrifying, an awe-inspiring spectacle overshadowed by the grim reality of their devastation.

“Do you think this will scare us into submission?” Mellea asked, with definite defiance in their voice.

Sonder thought it so strange that they were so reluctance to give Vell and her free passage of the regions that the Green Wizard controlled.

The druids were protectors of nature, and the forest was supposed to be their home. How come all of the other ones here didn’t say anything about Mellea’s decision? Why hadn’t any of the others spoken up?

Vell’s approach had turned hostile, and a single word from their leader could change all of that. Yet Mellea didn’t say anything, refusing even to consider negotiation.

“I don’t wish to destroy what you hold dear,” Vell said, his tone firm and resolute. “I seek to establish an understanding. I am not someone to be taken lightly. When I come with a request and offer appropriate compensation or alternative offerings, it is in everyone’s best interest to comply. I never ask for anything unreasonable.”

The other druids, still under Vell's control, glanced at one another; there was something uncertain in their eyes.

The light of the flames, now a roaring blaze, reflected in theirs, creating an eyeshine never seen before in the druids’ circle.

Vell sensed the creeping fear mingling with their loyalty to Mellea, a figure they all respected deeply because of the title they mantled.

“Is this really the way we want to handle this?” Sonder asked, placing a hand on his arm.

Though the heat weighed heavily on them, her voice sliced through the oppressive warmth.

“Sonder, do you honestly believe we’ll get what we want by simply asking nicely?”

“We don’t have to be here,” she replied. “If they truly want us gone, we can just leave.”

“I cannot. Gaining either the fear or respect of the Green Wizard has become my utmost priority. I can’t walk away without it.” He pulled his arm away from her hand—a gesture mirrored by the other druids.

“How do you plan to achieve that? By burning my home?” Mellea shot back. “You’re behaving like any other invader, showing no respect for nature—determined to destroy it, to set it ablaze. Fire is no tool for diplomacy. You’re a fool.”

“This isn’t just a threat or a warning. It’s a demonstration,” he said. “I want to work together, not against each other. This fire can be extinguished faster than it ignited, but if you leave me no choice...

With a flick of his wrist, the flames surged higher, a sudden gust of wind fanning the fire into a frenzy.

The druids wanted to flinch; their hands would have trembled had they not been bound by the Dread Mage’s control. No matter how they struggled, regaining it seemed impossible.

The ground beneath them began to quake, roots and vines reacting to the imminent danger, writhing as if alive—a living entity engulfed in flames.

Vell extended his hands toward the blaze and the roots, and in an instant, the fire in his palm turned a deep blue. It strained against the confines he imposed, and then he unleashed its might upon the veins of the forest before they could fully rise.

The druids bristled as they were consumed in the fire, almost feeling that it was themselves that were burning.

They left behind only ash.