The long sandy road Max had taken all these years now stood alone, the town it belonged to now charred and blackened. While walking past the stone arch painted in soot, he gazed mindlessly at the town that used to be. All he could think of was smoke. The smell made him light-headed while the heat singed his eyes.

"If only you had listened to me, we would have lived. We could have rejoiced in a new town with endless feasts and dances. We could have drunk till the reaper came to us, we could have all lived but you...you all!" Max threw up his arms and yelled in exasperation.

"You all thought I was mad! You all said I had a sip too much! You all scolded me for spreading lies! I might've been a fool drunk, but I am not a fool sober! I warned you all, I saw the demon emerge from the forbidden cave, I saw it spawn hellfire and flame and poison from its mouth.

"I saw the deer and rabbits and sparrows run without a look back. I saw the trees try to escape their roots! I know they want to live, but you fools thought you were too smart!"

"What did you all say? "Oh Max, we live near water, fire cannot hurt us!" or "Oh foolish Max, the demon in the cave is a child's story!"" In a fit of rage, Max picked up a smoldering plank and threw it aimlessly.

"The druid spoke of the guardian's emergence and called me immature. What shall the guardian do when the people don't guard themselves?! The guardian lived in those animals and birds, not in you all, you idiots!"

He looked to the large obelisk and yelled, "Chieftain, oh chieftain! I thought you were the smartest of us all, yet you sat there playing the fiddle as the village burned! I pulled your hand over and over to show you and you refused to move!"

Max's voice began to choke. Clutching his hair, he whimpered, "We could all have lived....". he turned to a pile of ash by his side and cried," I wonder who you were. I wonder what life you would have lived instead of feeding the earth."

Max collapsed on the blackened ground and held his head between his legs. Unable to control himself anymore, he bawled loudly without anyone there to hear him.