After birth, he discovered he had a unique mastery of fire. He left home at a young age to focus his craft in the mountains, where no one would be hurt.

After imprisonment, he soon came to terms with his predicament. Underground exploration transitioned from a desperate embodiment of hope to a leisurely activity. Contemplation was his only ally, though a powerful one.

After eons, he came across a woman, bound and gagged, dumped into the catacombs by the bulbous, spotted natives, as he had been. He set her free. At first she feared his threatening appearance. Over time, they laughed, lived, loved. They made a life of light amongst darkness.

After impact, the footprints left atop his skull were but a preface to his crushed vertebrae. His flame fading, he watched helplessly as his soulmate ran, pursued by a portly dwarf in red. The dwarf’s first scream still echoed until both sound and sight were gone.

“It’s-a me.”