Fire Safety Training - What's Discovery Without Risk?

Nights on the island were always fairly quiet. Tonight, something strange wafted its way along the breeze--strange crackles, and the scent of smoke. Paradoxus woke with a start upon catching wind of it. Was there a fire nearby? Hastily looking around, he realized Aporro was nowhere to be seen; his companions were there, but the orange Isomara himself was not. Quickly, Paradoxus scrambled to his feet and ran for the hut's door. He had to find him, he had to warn him!

...But to his shock, he found Aporro sitting a ways from the hut's entrance... in front of the fire he was so pressed to warn him about. Just what was he doing? "Oh, Paradoxus," Aporro calmly replied, looking up from the burning embers before him, "what's got you up so late?" Paradoxus didn't say anything at first, his eyes darting from the fire to the little bowl of Memic eggs beside Aporro, then to the fire again.
"...What. Are you doing."
"Is something wrong?"
"Is something wrong?! You know how dangerous fire is! How can you just sit there and prod at it with that stick in your hand?!"
The stick, which by now was thoroughly blackened at its tip, was momentarily set down. "What does it look like? I'm just trying to keep this thing under control."
For a brief moment, Paradoxus's panic was lessened... somewhat. Come to think of it, that blaze did look to be contained within that tiny circle of stones surrounding it, with the only things it seemed to be burning being some tufts of dried grass and twigs Aporro gathered earlier that day from their reserves. Within that moment, Aporro beckoned Paradoxus over with a grin. "Why not come over here and see for yourself? It's not so bad as long as you know how to keep it contained."

...Eventually, Paradoxus made his way down the crooked steps over to Aporro's side--but at a safe distance away. As secure as this little stone ring seemed, he wasn't about to give his reservations away at the behest of his... eccentric roommate. Yet, as time passed and the flames flickered, Paradoxus couldn't help but find it... strangely comforting. That, or maybe it was distracting him from Aporro's rambling about how, if others could find a way to harness such a destructive force of nature, there's no telling what they could accomplish! Using it to light their way in the dark, and... oh, about the Memic eggs... perhaps if they had something else other than that wooden bowl, they could try making scrambled eggs or something? That would have to wait for another day, most likely.

As dawn slowly crested over the sea, the fire was eventually put out with a heaping handful or two of sand. Who would have thought such an otherwise uneventful night could be so illuminating?

Submitted By benightedswallow for Fire Safety Training
Submitted: 7 months and 3 weeks ago ・ Last Updated: 7 months and 3 weeks ago