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Unspeakable horrors swirled in my head, just outside the borders of conscious thought. I was master at putting unpleasantries out of my mind.

I and the bonfire made our way back to the bunker. That's right, the pile of embers was mobile – which wasn't entirely surprising seeing as it got here all on its own – but I still startled when burning heap began piling itself up higher. It grew and grew and was almost my height when the jarring blackness stopped rearranging.

It had vague human shape if one wasn't overly fussy with the definition. It balanced on two angular legs. Rib-like cage of haphazard material guarded the rustling heart inside. Occasionally, new items got incorporated into the jagged physique. It stood taller the longer we walked.

Animal paw was sticking out and oozed darkness. Not one of natives, then. My sparky friend informed me that the ambulatory locals were a terrible kindling. I wasn't worried – big part of me was past caring - but statement did not relieve any tension either. It could roast me on the spot if fancy struck it.

The two-legged blaze lumbered behind me. It fell sometimes, especially when descending into the precarious crater, but reassembled itself just fine at the bottom. For all I knew it was preferred mode of traversing, because it sure saved time. I considered plummeting once or twice myself. Landing barely concerned me.

I did not relish going back in even if it was whole and my captivity had little to do with the reservation. It was depressing place. Pristine abundance which was only ever accessible to likes of me only in the state of decay and abandon. The sight of it demolished made my insides churn.

The stressed structure had caved in some more in my absence. All this water we could never really afford trickled out of busted pipes and down the walls and deeper. Nobody would come looking for the leaks.

Sparky did not seem bothered to wade through, but damp kindling began smoking in black plumes and it was everywhere in moments. I coughed out my complaints and fireman turned the blaze down. It didn't help.

"Won't you be smothered without fresh air as well?" I asked in the next, clearer pathway. Perhaps it wasn't entirely bright of me to go indoors with a man-sized torch… But I was already deep in an infirm structure, my capacity for sound decisions was thoroughly exhausted.

I need to break out of this haze and start thinking and planning properly.

"… Just need heat heat heat," flames whispered insistently. There was something about humans before that, but I didn't quite catch it over the noise of our steps. I took a hard guess. Creature wandering so close to town could not have been not apprehended once or twice before. Containing a fire sprite must have been harder than flesh and blood. Surely they have not released it unprompted.

"So it's not your first tour around here either?" I motioned around us, albeit I had no idea whether it could see. Hell, I could barely see and my unlikely companion was the light source - some areas had no more electricity.

Couldn't hear the reply if there was any, which was fine - I didn't care either way. Hearing my surroundings just helped me stay out of my own head. Talking to myself worked just fine.

I stopped at an intersection of sprawling corridors and wondered which way armoury could possibly be.

"If it is buried under rubble can you… do anything about that?" I glanced at my barely smouldering companion. Could it manipulate concrete same way it held all the scattered pieces of itself together? 

"Yesss," I thought I heard the hiss. I later learned that meant passing through blockages in the form of magma. Fireball stumbling upon the explosive jackpot didn't bother me as much as it probably should have. After all, I wouldn't even have time to panic.

We wandered for hours. I stuck my nose in every broom closet and unlocked room, since I had no idea how the armoury should look like or where they'd put it. The clueless sprite was of no help either. At least it was having fun destroying the fully furnished rooms I've left behind.

I'd come across so much luxury in the shiny, spotless facilities. There was so much of everything. Neatly stacked shelves of food, uniforms, towels, linen, trinkets I had no name for. It would have set me up for life… All of us. If only he left the city intact. A part of it. Smallest one. That distant street by the wall. Why did he even check the shitty part of town? There was barely anyone! Just several handfuls of unfortunates.

I had no use for any of it now. Slammed the door and ceiling bestowed shower of concrete upon me. It was all his fault. He did this.

When the bounty was finally discovered I was beyond exhausted. It had to have been at least night on the surface, if not whole other day. Whoever built this base was compensating for something. Survivability? Point in fact, my vitality disproportionately dwarfed that scrawny ass I sported.

Armoured entrance did not stop the fire fiend from checking. I peeked in too. Before I could get over my awe of finally finding this secluded place an explosion rapped, followed by dozens of little pops. Sparks whizzed through the air.

Instead of crouching down like a sensible person I crossed my arms and shouted at the fire man who was joyfully licking the tall ceiling, "Changed your mind about keeping me alive now that you got your toys?"

There was no way to tell if otherworldly creatures had concept of a bargain. Best to keep the incentive alive, "I'll show more once you lead me to the… other mouth."

The abashed blaze marginally subsided. Rustling attempted speech but barely audible words were too muffled by countless racks of firearms. It couldn't be important anyway.

Did I know any other bases? No. Could I point in a random direction and hope to never come across this fireball again? Sure. Likely won't even need to worry about that if things go right. I had no reason to survive the coming encounter. There only ever was us or them. And now I was all alone. I was ready to watch other cities get razed to the ground if need be.

"Gimme some time, okay? Gonna pick up some toys too!" I shouted towards the warm oranges at the other end of the room. Lights still worked in this structurally sound area, but the racks cast a lot of darkness. Shadows jumped up around the creature in lieu of audible answer.

Considered picking up a gun for the journey. Even forgetting the fact I didn't know how to use them, they all seemed clunky and would be in the way during the trek. My strength has always been stealth and speed. Not that I could outrun a determined monster.

I walked past the half-emptied isles of increasingly bigger weapons when those abruptly ended. Back of the hall was crates. Munitions. Some as big as my forearm. Some bigger. Walls had shelves with smaller boxes for presumably grenades. Order was disturbed everywhere I looked. A lot of containers were opened and strewn about. Nothing seemed to be effective against Great No-Longer-Asleep Brain.

Except that one thing, at least marginally. This would be perfect gift to the snail. Perhaps exactly what it needed to gain an upper hand.