Heroes to Hunted

"I... I can't..." I shamefully averted my gaze. Though he hadn't said what we were training for, I knew he planned to have me use my affinity.

"Why? Barik said, unfazed.

"It's because," I clenched my fists, "I'm... I can't... I can't deal with fire. It terrifies me." I turned my head to the ground and bit my lip in frustration. I hated that I couldn't make use of my power, but using fire was too much of a hurdle for me.

"So?" Barik sighed and crossed his arms. "Fire terrifies a lot of things, kid. But there's no time to be coddled. Let's go; I'm not taking no for an answer."

Fear welled up in my heart, and my legs were locked to place. The idea of setting myself ablaze left my mind dizzy with dread.

"Well? C'mon...  We don't have all night," Barik walked up and took me by the shoulder. "If you won't move, I'll move you myself."

I wasn't even in the right mind to struggle. My body refused to function while I envisioned using my affinity. Though my body was frozen, my mind certainly wasn't. As we inched closer to the clearing, my mind was flooded with desperation and all the irrational thoughts that came with it.

'I can't do this.'

'He's not serious.'

'Will they really make me do this?!'

'Run!'

'What if I knocked Barik out? Could I get out of this?'

'I'll do it... I'll do it! If it means avoiding the fire, I'll take him out. Damn the consequences!'

I turned to Barik, ready to viciously retaliate against him like a cornered wolf, but he stared back at me. To my surprise, the stoic blacksmith, who always seemed frustrated, now donned a slight but warm smile.

"It'll be alright, kid," he squeezed his grip on my shoulder. "Calm down."

I tried, but what he was asking for the impossible. I couldn't do it; I couldn't control my fire. There was no way. It would definitely spiral out of control again.

We reached the clearing, and my body turned from paralysis to running. Being a coward was the last thing I wanted to be labeled, and I truly wanted to confront my inner demons. However, the gnawing anxiety in my gut was too much to overcome.

I started squirming and pulling away from Barik's grip until he slammed an elbow into my side and threw me to the ground.

My mouth gaped as the air in my body left me. Then, while kneeling, I cradled my side with an arm, gasping and wheezing the entire time.

I gazed up at the grizzled blacksmith to see a look I could recognize.

Though his expression was compassionate to my plight, it was devoid of sympathy. Behind a glint of reflected moonlight, his eyes were focused and akin to that of my old bootcamp instructor.

"W-What the hell?" I panted.

"Is your mind clear now? It better be." Barik balled up his fists and slammed them to the ground below. After gathering a stream of deep brown energy, the very earth molded around his arms. He stood up with gloves formed from clay and rock. "I won't go easy on you, kid. So you better toughen up."

"What?" I asked.

He stepped closer.

"Wait, wait, what?"

He raised an arm and held it momentarily. It blotted out the moonlight, casting me in shadow.

"Wait! HOLD ON!" I shouted, but he was beyond listening.

He slammed his fist down, which I narrowly rolled away from. I pushed myself up from the ground and protested, "What the he-" but stopped in shock after seeing the aftermath of his attack.

The ground was churned and upheaved in a wide cone. If I'd been hit by that, a few broken bones would've been the least of my worries.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I swiped my hand at Barik.

"Beating the shit out of you, kid. You say you're scared of fire, which means you obviously have too much time on your hands. Just focus on the fight," he slammed his fists together, "I know I will." He approached with a killer's intent and repeatedly rammed his fists together in intimidation.

He readied for another ground-splitting attack, then swung.

I rolled myself back to avoid him. Afterward, I regained my footing and assumed a fighting stance. My mind was frazzled, but muscle memory carried me through.

"You're going to have to do more than dodge..." Barik taunted. "You have to fight back."

"Shouldn't we level the playing field?!" I uneasily replied. "I'll spar, but I need a weapon!"

Barik glared at me with disappointment. "You have a weapon. A potent weapon few others can emulate. You have your fire; use it."

"I can't! I told you I can't!" I desperately tried reasoning with Barik, but he was unresponsive.

Instead, he leaped to me and swiped his arm in a wide arc. I sidestepped beneath it, only this time he prepared for my evasion.

"Foolish," he mumbled with an embedded arm in the ground and projected an upward crumbling rock wall, barring my escape. Then, he wound up his other fist and thrust it straight for my gut.

I couldn't evade; there was no room to. I had no weapons; I left them back at my bunk. With no other option, I turned to Barik with only milliseconds to decide my next move.

My back was literally to a wall, and I had no choice. I couldn't rely on my guard to lessen the blow; he'd pierce straight through it. So my only alternative was a swift counter-attack.

I ducked my head and stepped toward Barik. Then, after planting my arms on his, I attempted to redirect his blow. It was a major test of strength, seeing he had the force of a charging bull.

Still, I managed to divert his fist to the side. Now I just needed to put him on the defensive. I'd aim for his neck and force him into submission!

Only my plan was halted by small pillars of stone. They launched outward from Barik's rock gauntlet, colliding with my chest and stomach.

The force from the impact rag-dolled me backward, smashing me through the rock wall. It crackled as it fractured and fell to pieces.

My body repeatedly crashed into the ground as I flew, only stopping after I clawed my hands and feet into the dirt below.

After recovering, I raised my head to see Barik striding toward me with confidence. Again, he repeatedly rammed his fists together in intimidation.

"It's time to face your demons, kid. Either that, or die." From his flat tone and confident posture, I knew he wasn't joking, embellishing or lying. Even more than that, I sensed a killer's resolve. One you'd expect from grizzled veterans on a battlefield.

'He genuinely intends to kill me,' I thought, astonished with the realization.