“Firesculpt Pt. 2”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Finally, they reached the exit. Katalikka stumbled outside and immediately took a deep breath of fresh air; she didn’t think she’d ever been so relieved to simply breathe before. She gently helped the man sit down before he collapsed. There was no one else near the Citadel; everyone else had already fled from the fire, saving only their own lives and not caring for those of the others who were trapped.

Katalikka looked down at the man sitting beside her. He wasn’t actually all that bad looking with soot-stained light brown hair and half-beard, smokey grey eyes, and an athletic build.

Distraction! Katalikka’s mind yelled at her.

She shook her head to get rid of the voice, but she knew that it was right; she’d gotten what she’d come for and now she needed to leave before she got caught.

“Thank you.”

The quiet, raspy voice stopped her as she turned to walk away. Katalikka looked back to see the man looking up at her, his eyes sparkling slightly. She paused and ducked her head quickly.

“It was no problem,” she said softly.

She turned to leave again, but the man caught her hand and gently pulled her back. She looked back at him, startled.

“No, please, let me make it up to you,” he said, standing up and wobbling slightly. “Let me pay you for your kindness.”

Katalikka hesitated. She knew that this man was potentially dangerous and could be lying to her about the food. But at the same time, the small gemstone in her pocket probably wouldn’t be able to pay for many supplies. She looked at the man and could tell that he was still in some pain from his injuries; she could probably easily overpower him if need be.

Finally, she nodded. “Thank you,” she said, mustering a small smile.

Final Comments: I felt like continuing Katalikka’s section today. I feel like she needs to have the right balance of confidence and cautiousness, which is hard to write… I’m guessing that lots of editing and rewrites will be needed…

Overall Rating: 😅