Rain and Fire

         Inferno was tired of running from his past. Maybe it was the darkened skies that were threatening rain. Maybe it was just the fact that he'd been avoiding the truth of his life for too long. He wasn't sure. As the only male born into this generation of the Burster family, he was expected to take the reins of the strongest group of pyromancers the world had ever known. But, the Shade Wars had taken their toll on his family. The invading armies of living shadow had ravaged some of the most powerful beings on Earth. No exception had been made when they came across the Bursters. The flame of his family was dying. He’d watched the fire leave his parents, and his sisters had fallen in combat one at a time. That was nearly three years ago by this point. He'd become accustomed to wanting nothing to do with his past, or his powers.
         Now, he was being faced with a choice. This part of the forest was a common route for slave traders, and sitting amongst the branches of the chestnut trees in the early spring, before too many leaves arrived, afforded him a perfect view of one of their trade routes. Generally, Inferno didn’t bother himself with the affairs of others, but he hadn’t been raised without morals. Currently, he was watching a man come down the path who embodied everything Inferno had learned to fight against. He knew slavery was a cruel business, but this trader made it seem worse. Behind his wagon of goods was a thick chain; and hooked to it were three people, all barefoot. Only one of them was even still able to remain on her feet. The others had obviously fallen and been unable to regain their footing a while back. They were being dragged. If they were still alive, they wouldn't be for long. Inferno got the impression that the trader wouldn’t even be bothered to stop to unchain their bodies if the had died.
         Inferno had seen enough. He jumped down, and landed directly in front of the trader, forcing him to stop. The man released a stream of profanity, but Inferno easily ignored his rambling. He looked back at the young woman, who was relieved to finally halt. Tears began to pour down her face, mingling with the April rain that started to fall from the sky. Through the tears, her eyes looked to Inferno, pleading for help.
         He would oblige her. Though the rain threatened to undo what he planned before it started, it wouldn't be effective. He was a Burster, after all. A blink of an eye was all it took, and the man was engulfed in flames. Inferno unhooked the woman, and made a decision. He was going to allow this shower to wash away all the pain and regret about his past that he'd felt for the past three years. The Burster Lord was going home.