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A Being of Fire
A Being of Fire
A Being of Fire
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A Being of Fire

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"What are the Jinn?" Eric asked, as he struggled to comprehend the events of the last few days.
“My parents used to tell me about them..” Sharmila replied with a smile. “The Jinn are creatures of light.. beings of pure good. They were a race of beings made entirely of smokeless fire who sought to spread light and warmth to the world. But,” She continued “good cannot exist without evil. Balance must be maintained and the universe has a way of making sure that one side does not overcome the other. Light cannot exist without darkness. As the Jinn spread, there came into being something new, something dangerous. The Jinn of darkness. It was born a Light Jinn, but it was different. It’s fires burned with hatred, hatred for the world of man. Little is known about what happened between its birth and the fall of the Jinn, but legend has it that this one Jinn of darkness destroyed the entire population of Jinn before turning its fires towards the human world.”
“What stopped it?” Eric asked.
“When the Dark Jinn brought its destruction to man, it found power in the soul. By consuming a life, human or Jinn, its fires became corrupted, causing the smoke the envelop it, the smoke from burning souls.” This explained why the Jinn Eric saw wasn’t smokeless. It was consuming Mrs. Soames soul. “It went on a rampage, destroying village after village. Legend has it that a powerful sorcerer stood against it and banished into the void, a plane of existence that is infinite cold and infinite darkness. A plane from whence nothing has ever returned..” but that last statement was no longer true. The Dark Jinn had returned.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherJeff Holt
Release dateJul 7, 2016
ISBN9781311166531
A Being of Fire
Author

Jeff Holt

Jeff Holt is an 18 year old college student majoring in Psychology with plans to attain a PhD in Behavioral Science. Jeff has always had an interest in writing fiction as a way of escaping the harsh realities of the world, but somehow the harshness follows him even into his stories as the world collapses and is driven to the same insanity he suffers daily.

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    A Being of Fire - Jeff Holt

    Prologue

    Legends speak of a time before man, before beast, and before life. They speak of a time before land and water. They speak of a time when the Earth was nothing but molten rock and fire. When the world first formed, it was covered by seas of lava, and from the flames of the Earth arose the first life: the Jinn. Made of pure, smokeless fire, the Jinn lived peacefully amongst each other, alone on the wasteland of lava.

    For many millennia they lived, feeding on the flames of the Earth, but there came a year when the seas of fire began to settle. From the lava came the land and from the smoke and steam came the the air and the waters. The world they had known came to an end, and they were left with a choice. To adapt or die.

    The Jinn spread through the world, searching for remnants of the flames they once knew. Many found shelter in some pools of molten rock that reached to the surface, and some dove deeper, into caves. Some made their way to the fires down below, building kingdoms from nothing.

    As they lived in these shelters, new life took form. The first creatures lived in the waters, where the Jinn could not tread. Eventually, these creatures grew and grew and spread. From the time the first creature walked on the Earth to the time that the first plant life took root, the Jinn remained under the ground.

    Living beneath the surface, they were aware of the events taking place above them, and despite the fact that these new creatures were inhabiting the world that the Jinn once called home, they felt nothing but pity for them.

    Without the Jinn the world was cold. From the rotation of the planet came the seasons. It created months of heat, and months of cold, with some balanced time in between. During the months of cold, the creatures of the Earth scurried for warmth by digging into the ground, unknowingly getting nearer to the Jinn.

    Those that didn’t dig, died. One creature in particular arose, one that was bred with intelligence, much like the Jinn. These were creatures known as man.

    Mankind struggled to survive the harsh colds of winter. They formed societies and lived together. They invented tools to aid in their survival, but in the winters, they nearly froze. Mankind could not produce heat, nor could they navigate the dark, so they suffered through their lives.

    The Jinn were kind beings, and the plight of man moved them. With kindness in their souls, the Jinn left their shelters, for the first time in many years, to lend assistance to the world of man.

    Their goal was to spread light and warmth to the dark, cold shelters which man survived in, and for a while they succeeded.

    One day, a new Jinn came into being, born of the fires of jealousy. This Jinn did not have the will to spread warmth and light. It didn’t want to make the world of man better. This Jinn wanted nothing except the world. With a hunger for death, this Jinn seeked to return the world to one of fire.

    The Light Jinn looked to stop this from happening, because they had grown to love man, but this new Jinn was too strong. Fueled by hatred of man, and of the Jinn that let them come into being, the Dark Jinn consumed the fires of its brethren and grew in strength. The legend says that the moment it killed its brother was the moment it was no longer pure fire. That was the moment it became a being of smoke and fire. That was the moment it truly became the Dark Jinn.

    Spreading through the world beneath the world, it consumed the other Jinn. When the next winter came, only two Jinn still lived. The last Light Jinn came to the surface and bestowed one final gift. It taught the world of man to create fire of its own, but the Dark Jinn came after it.

    The Light Jinn stood no chance against its brother, and soon it too, was consumed by the hatred of the Dark Jinn. With only the Dark Jinn surviving as the last Jinn, it soon turned its flames on the world of man, destroying everything it could reach. The last Jinn spread through the land, bringing death with it.

    In their last efforts, the few surviving tribes banded together to fight the Jinn, but without a Jinn of Light, they stood little chance. From the union of these tribes came a new type of man. The first sorcerer stood with his brothers and sisters against the Jinn.

    As he watched his fellow man burn, the sorcerer cast his last spell. Sacrificing himself, he ran into the Jinn and sent both him and it to a realm of infinite cold and darkness, where the Jinn could do no further harm to the world of man.

    Many more millennia passed, and mankind grew from the ashes. Using their intelligence to guide them, mankind fought their way to the top of the food chain. Many new creatures joined the world and many old creatures died off. Eventually, the Jinn simply faded into myth and legend...

    Chapter 1

    One step forward, two steps backwards. That's what they always say, right? Eric said to himself as he struggled to finish his homework last minute. How he longed to be back on vacation. The long days, the celebrations, the freedom. It all ended when he returned to school. Just a few days into classes and already he found himself swimming upstream, against the current of societal expectations. Problem after problem, solution after solution, minute after excruciatingly long minute, he pushed himself through the work. Eric Wendall was a senior in High School who had just finished Spring break. He had black hair and was average height and weight. Unfortunately, he was a social outcast. His only advantage in school was that he was slightly smarter than most. By the time he finished his work, he found himself late for school. Rushing through the door, faster than lightning, he grabbed his backpack, jumped in his car, and was on the road.

    2006. This year was a big year for Eric, because this was THE year. The year he graduated, the year he turned 18, and the year his life would truly begin. He didn’t know whether to be excited or scared, so he settled for something in between.

    Luckily the roads were relatively clear for Eric, who liked to drive just a little faster than he probably should have. Before too long, he heard the most terrifying sound he had heard in his 17 year long life. Police sirens roared behind him. Time always seemed to move slowly for Eric, who commonly found his mind drifting away. He pulled from the fast lane, to the center lane, to the right lane, and then finally pulled over. As the officer exited his vehicle, Eric felt his heart and mind racing in sync whilst conspiring against him. Images of himself in handcuffs and in jail ran through his head as the officer took step after step after painful step. His heartbeat became so fast that he could feel it pounding in his head. Buh-bump buh-bump buh-bump buh-bump. Faster than he thought possible.

    Crack crack crack! The officer tapped the window with his knuckles and signaled for Eric to open it. He was an older man, but stood firm. His sunglasses gave an air of mystery, a detached hatred of the world. There was a sense of power about him, a sense that left Eric speechless. It was a confidence that Eric longed for, and Eric was afraid. Slowly, he moved to roll the window down. Son, do you know why I pulled you over? Eric looked the officer in the eye and found himself at a loss for words. His heart beat so loudly that it was difficult to think.

    Uhh.. was all that he could get out. He knew he was speeding, but somehow was unable to find the words. The officer looked at Eric expectantly, waiting for a more legible response, but he could wait all day and Eric would still have not been able to reply.

    Finally, the officer decided to just tell him why he pulled him over. You were going 12 miles over the speed limit. Eric’s face went pale. He knew he was speeding, but he didn’t realize that he was going that fast. A bead of sweat moved down his cheek. Never before had he felt such fear. What was this officer going to do? Would he be taken to jail, or would he be sent home to be killed by his parents? His hands were shaking. Never been pulled over before? the officer asked him. Eric just shook his head ‘yes.’ After checking his watch, the officer met Eric’s frightful gaze. Late for school? Once again, Eric just nodded his head. The officer looked at Eric calmly, and thought to himself for a moment. It was just a few seconds, but it seemed to take forever for Eric. Good day to you then. the officer finally stated. Drive safely, and follow the speed limit. And with that, he walked back to his car, and drove away.

    Eric sat for a moment, in almost disbelief, trying to calm himself down. A 17 year old isn’t supposed to have a heart attack so soon in life he thought to himself. Eventually, his heart once again slowed to a normal pace and he started his car once again to be on his way to school. This time he followed the speed limit, often even going slower than it just to be safe. Not once on the rest of his drive did he go above, or go into any lane other than the far right one. He had had enough scare for one day, and now he was off to school for more.

    When Eric finally arrived at school, class had already started. Colfax High School had a reasonable tardy policy, but his teacher didn’t. The door to the class room opened with minimal effort, but there was a painful weight behind it. Eric was petrified about being the center of attention. He entered the classroom, handed the teacher a note, and took his seat at the back of the class without a word. Silence was his natural state, and he began to calm himself.

    Mr. Wendall, thank you for joining us. his teacher spat at him like an angry llama, with a smooth coldness in his voice. He stood there in his suit with the glare of the bright florescent lights on his glasses hiding his eyes and leaving Eric in a state of fear. He knew that he was Mr. Cypress’ least favorite student. In fact, Eric was pretty sure that Mr. Cypress flat out hated him. Now, as I was saying.. when the population standard deviation is known, you use the ‘z’ formula to approximate.......

    Once again time drowned on, slowly but steadily. Why is it time goes by so slowly? Eric thought to himself. Hurry up! Time always seemed to slow at the most painful of moments. In the worst of times, time seemed to slow, but in the best of times, time seemed to speed up. Why is that? Eric wondered.

    Isn’t that right, Mr. Wendall? Mr. Cypress rudely interrupted his train of thought. Had Mr. Cypress been talking that entire time? If so, he was screwed. Tongue-tied again, Eric panicked. He wasn’t very good at coming up with things on the spot. Luckily, however, he didn’t have to. Before he could reply, the fire alarm went off and all of the students looked around. Alright people! You know the drill! Mr. Cypress shouted to the class. Up! Up! Up! To the field! Almost in sync, the students arose from their seats and moved towards the door. Fire drill! Move it! Mr. Cypress wasn’t a very kind person. The class moved, calmly chatting, from the room, down the hallway, into the quad, and down onto the football field.

    Once on the field, Eric heard a high pitched scream off in the distance, but he disregarded it. Hey Eric! was the next thing he heard. It was the excited and upbeat voice of his friend Johnny. Even though he was four years younger than Eric, Johnny was one of those few people smarter than him. He was also a senior, just like Eric, except with some more advanced classes. Not only was he a genius, but he looked like one too. Exactly what you would expect from a child math prodigy. A short kid with glasses and almost no muscle mass. It probably didn’t help that he was only 13 years old, but he was scrawny. He was a weird guy, but he was nice and he was pretty much Eric’s only friend.

    Johnny! What’s up? Eric greeted his friend warmly. Johnny rushed over to him, awkwardly bumping into some people on the way. Do you know what’s going on? Eric asked.

    With a smirk, Johnny looked at him and replied Some moron set off the fire alarm. We should be back in class soon enough. See, no smoke? he said as he pointed towards the buildings. Johnny was right, there was no smoke. What class are you out of?

    Statistics. Eric answered with a touch of disgust. Hopefully this evacuation will last long enough for us to not have to go back. He said it with a hint of laughter as if it was a joke, but he hoped for it in the deepest depths of his soul. No matter what, he did not want to go back to that class.

    Johnny picked up on Eric’s unsung fear: time. Yeah. Don’t worry. They usually take a while. Procedure in this ty... he would’ve kept going, but Eric cut him off.

    Yeah, procedure, and all that. he interrupted, trying to show understanding and end that topic. He didn’t really care much about that. While he would never admit it, he was rather insecure with Johnny, as he was with most people. Regardless of the person he was being compared to, Eric never felt that he was good enough. Especially with his boy genius friend. The only advantage he had over Johnny was the physical ones. Hey, where’s Cindy? he asked.

    Cindy Kershaw was Eric’s crush. A cute blonde with piercing blue eyes that went down to the depths of her kind soul. She would’ve been his high school sweetheart, but he was always too afraid to ask her out. Everyone knew that she would have said yes if he had, because everyone, except Eric, knew that she had an even bigger crush on him than he had on her.

    Cindy? Johnny thought to himself for a moment, but then answered simply. I don’t know. Needless to say, Eric was unimpressed. He had hoped to see her for a moment before they had to go back to class, but at least it was one thing Johnny didn’t know that Eric did. He spotted her behind Johnny, across the field, standing alone.

    Eric was the first to notice her, but Johnny definitely noticed the look on his face when she came into view. It was the same look he had seen hundreds of times, every single school day. He looked behind himself and spotted her as well, as if he needed confirmation that she was there. His friend, Eric, was as speechless as he always was when she was in view. It was like he was paralyzed, and useless. For a few moments when he saw her, he became a blank slate.

    When are you going to ask her out already? Johnny was getting tired of those googly eyed looks and lack of action, but it was of no use. Eric was stuck on her. If you don’t do it, I’m gonna end up doing it for you. he threatened. This broke through and got to Eric.

    He looked sternly at Johnny and proclaimed confidently You wouldn’t! Already he felt his heart racing and adrenaline pumping at just the thought of Johnny betraying him like that.

    Oh? Johnny replied, testing Eric’s limits, seeing how far he could go with it. Are you sure about that? He took a step towards Cindy.

    I wouldn’t do that if I were you.. Eric warned, but it was too late. Already Johnny had decided in his mind that he was going to do it. One step after another, he inched towards her.

    Slowly, but surely, Johnny picked up the pace. I’m gonna do it! he teased. You can’t stop me! He moved even faster as Eric began to chase after him. The walk turned into a speed walk, then into a run. Before long they were both sprinting off in her direction. While Johnny was definitely smarter than Eric, Eric was much faster than Johnny. Before he had reached halfway between where they were standing and Cindy, Eric caught him and tackled him to the ground. The two wrestled on the ground for a bit, or at least Johnny did. Eric, on the other hand, just sat ontop of him calmly. Johnny wasn’t really a physical type person, so he struggled in vain.

    Are you going to stop? Eric asked calmly as Johnny fought. For a second the kid tried harder, but he soon gave up and merely flopped on the ground. It was no use fighting. He didn’t stand a chance against Eric.

    Johnny looked at his friend, exasperated. Fine. he said, but you have to talk to her at some point! Unfortunately, Eric knew he was right. He had to talk to her, but he was determined to do it on his own time, when he was ready.

    Alright. You’re right, I do need to talk to her. Eric admitted. But I’ll do it when I want to do it. Not when you tell me too. He held firm on this statement and Johnny could see that he was serious. The sad thing was that Johnny knew that Eric would practically never be ready.

    He had had enough fun by then and gave up. Fair enough. Johnny simply replied, and that was the end of that. It was destined to come up again, but time was fleeting now and Johnny knew when to retreat and fight another day. After all that was most of what he did at that school. The two stood up, Eric first, offering a hand to Johnny as he stood. They shared a moment of friendship, both understanding the other and their intentions, and they were as brothers.

    Mr. Wendall! Mr. Rambert! called Mr. Cypress. Get in line boys! Evacuation role call. The school’s way of controlling hundreds of hormone raging, adrenaline filled, teenagers. Having them line up and stand as quietly as possible, which often isn’t really that quiet.

    Yes sir. was Johnny’s respectful response. Shaking his head and letting out an ugh was Eric’s. Nevertheless,

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