Flames spread over the village, burning the wooden houses. Such flames were not normal, but the powerful Divine Black Flames of the Flame Emperor, the tyrant that governed over half of the entire Continent of Muspelheim with his wicked and greedy ways.
In front of the village chief, all his men were on the floor, dead. The black flames burning them all, as the smell of roasted flesh and blood made him want to puke. Tears flowed from his old and tired eyes, as he glanced at the massacre.
Not only his men were dead, of course. Thanks to his grandson's divine powers, his men managed to kill many of their foes, making sure to at least take down a few of these bastards with themselves to Helheim…
Yet, at the end… They all knew their fate, and so did he.
A gigantic figure walked forward, stomping over the corpses of his own men and foes alike, his domineering glance looked down at the chief, kneeling in the floor. His body covered on several weapons, yet the old man still was alive. An insane physique he had; he was the strongest of his village after all.
"Old man, you are strong." The Emperor smiled, stroking his long, white beard. "Yet your struggle is pointless. Tell me, where is the Red Orb Fragment, and I will give you a swift, painless death."
The chief gasped for air, his blood making a puddle below his body. His tired eyes slowly glanced at the titan in front of him… so tall and enormous that one could simply not believe he was a giant.
"So you are the Flame Emperor…" He muttered weakly. "Such a giant… monster."
The Flame Emperor smiled.
"Monster, you say?" He laughed. "Bwahah… HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, maybe that's what I am, a monster!" A greedy smile showed on his face, sharp fangs showing. "A monster who cannot be satiated, cursed for eternity to live in a world filled with weaklings that cannot satisfy my desire for a challenge! Yet… I must still seek more power, I cannot be satisfied, nobody can satisfy me. Now, old man, will you free me from this curse?! Will you tell me where it is?! TELL ME!"
"U-Ungh…" The chief groaned, barely being able to stand up. He slowly raised his free hand, dropping his weapon, and then pointing at the distance, a place where his grandson had not gone to, of course.
The Emperor smiled, thinking that was the place. However, the chief slowly laughed, and then pointed the hand back to him, giving him a middle finger.
"Like hell I would tell you where they are, you damn bastard." He smiled. "Burn me with your black flames, I'll scream and agonize, and I'll do so happily! You'll never get a single word out of me!"
The Emperor's smile suddenly changed, looking furious, his face distorting into pure anger, his eyes turning completely red.
"Heh, you damn, cocky old man… Fine, I'll comply with your request. Die by my flames, and do so happily!" His giant hands opened, unleashing black flames.
FLUOOOOSH!
"GRUUUUAAAAAAGGGGHHHH…!"
The chief began to scream as the flames slowly began to burn his skin and then flesh, bones, everything. Even his soul was burning away, turning into ashes…
"Burn, like the trash you are…" The Emperor smiled. "Even though you didn't wanted to tell me, I can more or less tell where it is… the fragment."
The Red Orb Fragment on his hand began glowing, reacting to the other Fragments. They weren't that far away… He was growing closer to one of them, or even two.
"You greedy monster…!" The chief screamed. "Those jewels were made by the God of Flames, Logi! Even if you gather them all, you will receive… DIVINE PUNISHMENT! Your actions won't go… without proper… PUNISHMENT!!! AAAGH…! GRYYYAAAAEEEEGGGHHH…!"
"Tch, the mere screams of an old man." Laughed the tyrant, kicking his burning body away, as he continued marching forward, crushing everything on his step. "Keep marching." He ordered his troops. "We shall not stop until we find them… I am so close now. I'll make sure to rip apart that jewel off that child's body, hehehe… HAHAHAHA!"
The army of destruction continued their endless march across the continent, their insatiable emperor knowing never to give up nor to stop the chase after he has decided a prey to hunt.
The black flames spread across the village, turning it all into ashes slowly. They burned the surrounding plants, and animals, and even the earth itself, turning it all infertile.
These flames, being the complete opposite of the Flames of Origin, these were the Flames of the End, a powerful, incredible Magic that the Emperor had attained mysteriously, several years ago.
It was a power that allowed him to raise to where he was now, to build his own Empire, with his own servants, and countless of divine monsters obeyed his tyrannical rule.
…
Meanwhile, Agni and Leona were being carried away from the scene by the fast moving Blazing Scaled Horses, powerful steeds that the Fire Giants tamed and used to move long distances.
The young boy's face twisted in frustration, anger, and sorrow all at the same time, his tears flowing down from his face, as the warm winds dissipated them into the air.
"Grandpa…" He cried. "I'll… make sure to find him. The Fire Dragon."
"Agni…" Leona gritted her teeth, looking into the distance. "That damn Flame Emperor… When will he be truly satisfied? When will this tyranny end? Will he be satisfied once the entire continent burns by the Flames of the End? If only… if only someone… somebody."
Leona recalled the "Fire Dragon" the last oracle that the young Agni received before this happened. Of a powerful Dragon of Flames, the last of his kin, that was born in the Muspel Bone Mountains. Said to possess a Divine Power that could save them and defeat the Emperor, he was their very last hope…
But was such an oracle the truth? Was there any hope? Could they really do it?
