How a crater became a Bearer's Lake.
I wish I was a Water Bearer; to be someone who brings life. They are the ones called on during a flood, the ones called on during a drought. The water they carry in them ebbs like the tide at sea. Mariella is a Water Bearer, without her I would have died of thirst when crossing the Great Plains. Looking back, I can just make out the plains in the distance; the wind storms they hold are barely visible on the horizon.
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Most of the inland Wind Wizzes end up in the plains, it’s one of the few safe spots for them to end. It doesn’t stop them, though, from seeking employment aboard a ship. Wizzes are suited for that kind of work: making their own wind, moving ships against the natural will of the sea. They are coveted by captains who wish safe passage for their cargo and crew. They are treated quite well. Until they begin to whistle.
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The whistle is shrill at first, coming from small holes formed in the Wizz’s body. A good captain will understand the sound immediately. At that time, the Wizz will be trussed like a shrilling swine then abandoned. They won’t be thrown overboard to drown, the storm that surges from the Wizz’s body is catastrophic. Some of those storms rage on for years capsizing any ship unfortunate enough to be caught in their turbulent waters. It’s a terrible fate.
Mari calls out to me. Looking at her, I see she is already far ahead of me. My wandering mind causing me to fall behind. We still have much time left before we reach the crater atop the mountain. Picking up the pace, I follow the wet footsteps she leaves behind.
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Unlike Wizzes who lose pieces of themselves to the wind, Bearers leak. When the water in them can no longer be contained it seeps right out of them. For Mari it started with wet palms that became wet arms. Soon all her clothing stuck to her as if she had swum right through a river. The tears were last. They started and never stopped. I can no longer tell if she cries or if her body laments its own end. Reed would know, I think, he would know without asking.
Looking past Mari, my eyes follow the dark slope of the mountain to the edge of the crater. The column of fire emanating from it letting us know that Reed ended there. Reed, my brother in everything but blood. His name was ironic, named for the water reeds that grew on the edges of the Great Lake – a natural lake not one made by Bearers. Those were the reeds my mother used to weave the baskets she sold to feed us. When she passed I saved her last few baskets but it’s been a long time now since I accidentally burned the last one.
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Following Mari in silence, I think back to my youth. Water Bearers were the only kind of wizard I knew then. No one was angry when their child was a Water Bearer; it was a great gift, especially in a village prone to drought like ours. No one inland needs Wind Wizzes or Fire Eaters, it’s always Water Bearers and the Earthen they hope for.
When Reed and I ate our first fires, my mother begged us not to let the villagers find out. We didn’t understand then, not until we were chased out. A village of drought could not welcome two Fire Eaters. It was only then I finally looked upon my mother, her gaunt expression, pained smile. We thought we were different, when we saved homes from burning. When we saved people from burning we were exalted as heroes. But heroes were wanted and we were always aware of the weary looks of wonderment for when we would combust.
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Looking ahead I see Mari shake her hand, water droplets flying off the ends of her fingers. No matter what she did the water remained. I stop walking, pausing next to a tree. It was just like the others, gnarled and strange. Looking down at my glowing palm, at the heat pulsating right under the skin, I didn’t dare touch the bark. Instead, I looked at the rounded canopy of jewel-toned leaves, at the yellow fruits hanging off the branches in bunches. The leaves shook lightly and, in the silence, I wondered for a moment how it felt for an Earthen to become a tree with no hope of true rest.
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“Vincent?”
I turn, “I’m alright, Mari.”
She nods, at the tree next to me, “We need to keep moving, Vin. You’re making the bark smolder.”
I knew she was right without turning back, I could smell the bark beginning to burn, “You would think,” I said, stepping away from the tree, “fire could not hurt an Earthen tree.”
Mariella hummed, “They are just trees in the end. We had one back in the city that shaded the First Well.”
“The one with the purple fruits?”
“Yes. I’ve yet to see another tree with such a fruit.” She glanced around, “Even here most of the fruits are yellow save for the ones that are orange.”
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Walking again, I look around at the orchard of trees. Their branches twisted around like braided cord. A highly unusual sight considering it was unheard of now for an Earthen to exert themselves to the point of becoming a tree. The Earthen tended not to overexert themselves, ever, much like most Fire Eaters and Wind Wizzes. Once the first roots broke through their skin they stopped using their powers. That is, if they even bothered learning how to use them at all in the first place. To find a tree, a sprouted Earthen, was extremely rare. For this mountain to have an entire forest: it spoke to the prevalence of the Earthen in the past, such a thing was impossible now.
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“There’s a person in each one of these trees.” I quietly said. Mari hummed. “Do you think they can still hear us?”
“I hope, for their sake, they are asleep in there. If they could speak, it would surely be to ask for their tree to be destroyed. How long, I wonder, have they been trapped in there,” Mari said, pausing, “I’m glad I’m not an Earthen.” I quietly agree with the nod of my head.
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Moving past the last of the trees, I think about what Mari said. Even if she watered, she would still be present until all her water was gone. Even if I combusted, I would still be in that burnt body of mine until the fire ceased. Looking up the mountain I wonder what state Reed is in. Would he hear us over the storm of fire leaving his body? Would he know we came to help him? We were still too far to feel the heat, but we were close enough to the crater to see the column of fire expelling from Reed’s body.
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Sighing, ash leaves my mouth, floating away, “I don’t have much time, Mari.”
Mari turns placing a wet hand on me. White steam blocks the view. Her hand sizzles where it rests on mine, “Reed’s waiting,” she says. I nod grimly.
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I follow the wet prints Mari leaves behind as she continues leading us up the mountain. My steps dry hers as if they never existed. She should have been at home, back in the city, preparing for her end. As a Water Bearer this was the time when she would visit the First Well; the well where her family chose to end. She would go, conduct some cleansing prayers, clean the well and prepare it for her day to enter. She would be celebrated for replenishing the well until her water ran out. That welcome act would ensure the wellbeing of her family and all who drew water from the First Well. She would have been right where she was meant to be.
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Instead, she treks ahead of me: water seeping out of her skin, soaking her clothes, running off her like a small mountain spring. Before, it was just tears but now it’s her whole person – a sign she can barely contain her water. If we don’t hurry her water will be lost. I keep my distance so as to not cloud her view with the inevitable steam that follows when she gets too close. Instead, I watch her walk, looking ahead at Reed’s flame.
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I’d never seen Reed’s fire, once we ate that was it. In the stories we heard growing up they told of Eaters who could control their fire. Once they ate, they could call upon and expel the fire at will. Reed never figured out how to do it. I managed once, on accident, the day I nearly burned our house down. If Reed hadn’t eaten that fire it would have burnt down. We never did manage to find someone to teach us, I’ve never known another Eater but Reed. Bearers have plenty of masters to choose from, if the stories are to be believed. Wizzes know all their tricks instinctively. The Earthen gather together in small groups, they only need a few people to upkeep a large swath of land after all.
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I hold back a sigh, tasting the ash in my mouth. With every movement the fissures in my skin crackle and glow dispelling ash along my path. It didn’t start this way; it was a pleasant warmth then slightly uncomfortable then unbearably hot. It was hot for Reed too, but he kept eating fire anyways, always throwing himself headfirst into any fire he came across. I should have stopped him, not let him eat or maybe just eaten instead. I should have stopped us both when we were still young and the fire within us had yet to grow. Rolling my shoulders back, I let the ash float off of me. Maybe if I had a master I wouldn’t be on the verge of combusting. If Reed had one he’d surely still be here.
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Near the crater, the wind carries hot torrents of ash over its edge washing heat over us. It doesn’t bother me but it does force me to take the lead as Mari steams up, blocking my view. It must feel a relief to her, to finally be dry even if it does mean she’ll now be feeling the full force of an Eater’s fire. Walking up the last stretch I remember how it was we met. Reed and I had just finished eating, a row of houses burned before we managed to stop it but the rest of the town was saved. Among the thanks and praises were looks of disdain and fear. Disdain from those few who lost their homes, fear from all of them. It was when we would still be politely asked to leave. They wouldn’t say it outright but they feared we would combust and destroy the whole town. Once the cracks started to show in our skin, once the heat began to glow, they weren’t so polite.
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We ran into Mari as we exited the area under the townsfolk’s careful watch. The way those people’s faces lit up once they recognized the markings on her clothing I would never forget. The sheer joy, the awe. Mari didn’t end up staying in the town, she met us there and deduced exactly what was happening. I never managed to find out why she chose to follow us out, she refuses to say, but I’m thankful for it. She brought us peace, and made it easier to bear the heat. Reed loved her, I don’t think he ever told her but I know he did. He loved her even when her water steamed right off his skin failing to quench his thirst.
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The further up the mountain we walk, the less vegetation remains. Bending down I scoop a handful of black earth. It smolders in my hand releasing the scent of burnt greenery. Looking around I realize the color of the mountain is not as it should be. Where lush greenery should be there is only burnt earth.
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“Vincent, we have to go.” Mari yells up at me.
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Looking back at her I can barely make her figure out among all the steam. We continue up the mountain, our feet sinking into the ashen dirt. The closer we get to Reed, the more we feel his fire. When we pull ourselves over the last precipice I stop, Mari stepping up beside me.
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How I long to cry. I’ve tried for an eternity, but my well has long since run dry. Instead, I force myself to stand; body heavy, throat burning, eyes clenched shut. My muscles constrict high in my throat. Had I any tears, they would run across my cheeks; had I any moisture it would seep out of my nose. I deign a glance at Mari seeing her through the steam. Her warmly lit, tear-soaked face softens the strength of Reed’s fire. Her tears flow freely, pouring over her cheeks. She grieves but her tears existed long before any of this, the water leaking from her skin marking her a dead woman; but unlike Reed and I, Mari’s death would bring life.
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I manage a measly tear but it doesn’t reach the ground, evaporating right off my cheek. Not even a proper grievance I am afforded, let me cry, let the water be mine, I am so thirsty.
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“I can cry for both of us, Vincent,” a wet hand lands with a hiss on my shoulder, how cooling it must be. How gentle to know your end brings others life. I recall my poor mother, she suffered so much with us always stealing her fire. No candle, torch, or fireplace was safe when we decided to eat. The fire entering us so easily. It took me longer than I like to admit to move on from such small flames but Reed was always phenomenal; the way the fire swayed, how it twisted, shifted until it all came over him like a golden waterfall. I should have stopped Reed, once we learned why no one wants to be a Fire Eater. Their remains taint the land, fire can only bring destruction in the end. I place my hand over Mari’s, letting the hiss ground me.
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My fire calms, just barely. It has yet to escape. I gently move Mari’s hand off my shoulder, it must be horrible to feel so much heat at once. It’s horrible for me, it was agony for Reed. Looking at my blackened hands I run a hand over my arm feeling the deep crevices where the skin split apart. When it first began, I wore bandages to cover the sight but eventually the bandages burned away and the true state of my arms was visible to all. I wasn’t allowed anywhere anymore; not into the cities, not in towns nor onto carriages. Not even into the small room I had long since rented on the outskirts of a Bearer’s lake. People saw my scars, they felt the heat and scrambled to get away. By then it had been a year since Reed had gone. All he left was a charred note, the barely visible letters read; “I’ll find a way to save us both – R”.
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I will myself to look right at Reed. Kneeled in the center of the crater; his head thrown back, mouth agape, eyes long since burnt away. His arms lay limp as his sides, hands palm up. Clenching my hand I take in the sight of him, of the deep fissures in his completely blackened, blistered skin. None of the Reed I once knew remained.
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“Why did he leave, Mari,” I ask, staring at Reed’s flame covered body.
“Foolishness…hope.”
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He wanted to save us from the fire we ate ourselves but in the end all he managed was his own ruin. I’m no better, I’m on the edge I can feel the fire roiling right under my skin and I’d done what Reed had not. I’d dragged Mari into our mess.
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“You should go, Mariella. Go home.”
“That is not for you to decide.”
We look at each other, my face hot, her face wet, “What will you do?”
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Mari takes a long time to reply, she looks at Reed then around at the crater. While she contemplates, I stare at the fire coming off of Reed. The column reaches high into the sky, a black cloud forming above it like an impending storm. My eyes ache staring into the light. Like an addiction, despite my state I still want more. Fire tastes like nothing anyone but another Fire Eater could understand. It’s like having a heavily sweetened, hot cup of tea. It fills me, warms me in ways a blanket never could. No one else can touch it but in our hands fire holds like molten glass. It lives, pulsates like an insatiable creature. The crackling flame calls to me, beckons me. Walking close to Reed I stop just before his fire. Reaching out I take a handful of it, letting it fill the valleys in my skin. Lifting it to my face I stick my tongue out for a tas-
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“Vincent.” I freeze.
“You’re doing it again.”
Looking down I find it too late, the fire is gone. I can feel the remnants of it in my throat. “Mari,” I say shakily.
Gripping my arm, Mari pulls me back, “Focus, Vin. I need your help, I’ve decided what to do.”
“I-“
Mari cuts me off, “I think this is where I’m meant to water, Vin.”
“This is not what you were meant for Mariella,” I say snapping out of my trance.
“You know,” she says turning to Reed, “I always envied my great aunt. She was the only one of us who didn’t enter the First Well. My mother rarely spoke of her but the one thing she told me was my aunt wanted to be an oasis.
“It’s a great act of selflessness. You have to leave your whole family, you know the story right? ‘The Oasis of Lina’. I wanted to be like that, to save people who got lost in the storms of the plains, or sail out to a tiny island and save some shipwrecked seamen or even just bring relief to parched animals.”
“I want to save Reed, save this mountain.” She sternly says.
Looking at her as if for the first time, I note her reddened eyes, the sallowness of her skin, the way her gaze never quite focuses on me.
“Are you well, Mari?” The light made the water on her face glow like sweet amber.
“I can feel the water in me, Vincent. It longs to escape. It’s an old superstition, how lake water makes one calm, and rain water makes one slow. Well, I love white capped river water. The kind that carves stone and makes its own way.”
Laughing she waves her hand, “It is an impatient water, it wants out.”
Unable to laugh I take her hand feeling no coolness from it, “Go home, Mari. I will take care of Reed, this was his choice and now it is mine…He wouldn’t have wanted you to end like this.”
Squeezing my hand she smiles wryly, “It is my choice, Vin. The water goes where it will, it has led me here.”
Looking around she nods to herself, “Water to revive the mountain, a nice resting place. The crater will be my resting place, it will form a lake once my water fills it. This is my choice. Look, Vin, look at the view.”
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She pulls my hand, turning so our backs face Reed. Out over the edge of the crater lies the rest of the blackened mountain. Beyond that a swatch of shining leaves dotted with ripe fruit. Further out the plains sit still save for the storms blowing sand over the horizon of the setting sun. I tremble under the sun’s fire.
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He died looking at that, Reed. How he managed to hold out until he reached the top of the mountain I do not know. Why he didn’t return to me for help I do know. When a Fire Eater died, there was no stopping it. The fire took everything it could. I’d only heard stories about it, how in the old wars Fire Eaters would head out to fight. They would take one too many fires and when they burned, they took everyone. After a few incidents they were prevented from fighting. They surely would have been killed if not for the threat of their rampaging fire burning everyone alive. Those Eater’s lost techniques were what Reed set out to search for, the only hope he had for quelling the fire in him. It seems he never did find it. Turning away from the sun I take another look at Reed’s face. Relaxing I make up my mind.
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“I’m going to take Reed’s fire, Mari.”
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Mari didn’t speak for a long time, I didn’t deign look at her until she spoke, “I guess we both end here.”
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In the end our plan was simple, I would eat Reed’s fire marking my end. Once done Mari would water, quelling the flames. If it worked a new lake would form, and life would return to the mountain.
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“Should we wait until morning,” I ask, noting the fading sunlight.
“No, we only delay the inevitable.” Setting down her pack she rummages through it. Pulling out a small bundle she beckons me over.
“I would like to do the ritual prayer. It should only take a few minutes.”
My heart clenches, the prayer was to be done in front of many to celebrate the life of a Bearer. Not alone.
“Mari-“
She raised a hand, “My choice, Vin.”
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Nodding I kneel watching her put on a shining set of gold jewelry. She pulls out a small tin, dipping her finger into it, she swipes two bright pink circles over her cheeks and another two on her forehead. Placing it back in her bag she straightens her back and speaks.
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“From water we rise, in water we live, the water lives in us all, all of us live in the water. This water I’ve taken from the land, the land’s thirst I return to, may my water bring life to the next one to rise.”
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Taking a deep breath, her face softens a moment later. Opening her eyes, “I’m ready, Vincent. Let’s go help Reed.”
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Standing with conviction, I walk straight towards Reed. As I step into his fire, I squint to see. The heat makes the air wave causing everything to distort. Reaching behind me out of the fire I find Mari’s arm giving it a final squeeze before closing the distance to Reed.
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Time slows as I walk further into the fire. It is unlike any other fire I’ve ever been in – it makes my skin sizzle with anticipation. Letting out a shaky breath I take the first bit of fire in my hand. Lifting it to my mouth I can’t suppress a shudder, the taste how exquisite! Like thickened honey, the fire soothes my throat heat pooling in my stomach. It’s such a gentle fire, it soothes that part of me I constantly have to suppress. That deep seated desire to eat all the fire that I come across. Like an uncontrollable glutton I eat. The more I do, the more my skin splits. I hear nothing but the song of the fire, like eating a sunset – the closest I’ll ever get to tasting the sun itself. Reaching out I pulled more and more fire into me. I can’t stop, even as my skin splits completely, red then black. Even as my limbs shake, as my body heaves I keep going. If I fail here then Reed continues to suffer.
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Pulling at the last flames of the flames, I’m plunged into near darkness. I can barely see in front of me, my skin burning like a ripe coal. I slap a charred hand over my mouth. In front of me, a stream of ash escapes Reed’s mouth, his final breath before his body scatters in a puddle of ash. Turning, I try to take a step towards Mari but fall to my knees. With the last of my fading vision I see her let go. For just a moment she holds her form, the last rays of warm sunshine going straight through the pristine water, the light warming her like a piece of smooth amber.
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The fire tears through taking the last of my sight. As if trying to tear my soul away from me, my fire escapes. My mind fades around me as my body pulsates, throngs of fire ripping out of me. This suffering is what I saved Reed from, it’s better that it was me.
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I spend an eternity boiling alive mind hardly my own as it goes in and out of focus. As if the me that had once been, had long since been replaced by flames. It was only then, when I regained enough of myself to recall Reed and Mari that I felt the first vestiges of her water touch me. In an instant I let go, my body sagging as my final breath leaves me. My ash mixes with the water forming a sludge that settles at the bottom of the crater.