Games of Fate

I snapped my eyes open, a sound somewhere disturbing my light sleep. Probably just raccoons in the roof again. I sighed, sitting up and running a hand through my russet hair. I'd fallen asleep sitting on my bed, I realised. My eyes were already adjusted to the dark, so I stood, silently slipping out of my room. I was awake now, and knowing me, there wasn't any chance of falling back asleep. As I looked out the tiny square hole that was the kitchen window- my bedroom backed onto the kitchen, which doubled as a living area and was thus the biggest room in the tiny house-, the cool night air sending a chill through the room, I saw that it was almost dawn anyway, by the light orange tinge that lit the horizon.
I was about to start cleaning the kitchen, because I hadn't last night, when I paused, hearing a dull sound. It sounded almost like an explosion. I frowned, wondering what it was, then went outside to see if I could figure it out, grabbing my jacket on the way out. The cool air of late fall bit at my face, and I shivered, but ignored it. I walked down to the road, just a beaten dirt path, and stood there, squinting into the darkness. I heard another explosion, similar to the first. Now that I was looking, I saw a small plume of fire rise into the air, then go back down, almost unnoticeable this far away.
I then realised what was going on. The orange light wasn't dawn, the sun rising behind the village. It was fire burning the horizon. I could smell the smoke in the air now.
The village was on fire.
Judging from the explosions, I assumed we were being invaded. Being on the outskirts of the country, and a rather poor place stuck in the cold, mountainous north, we were always worried about being picked off as an easy target. It would seem that day had come.
I ran back to the house, running straight through to my father's room. I stopped in the doorway, seeing the room was empty. My heart fell- I remembered he said he was going to leave early to stock up today. “God dammit,” I cursed under my breath, running a hand anxiously through my hair. What could I do? I had to get out of here. It was only a matter of time before they came out this way.
I ran into my room, grabbing a few things and shoving them in a bag, then out to the kitchen to shove a few supplies in, whatever I could fit in there. I had to leave, now. Rushing outside, I ran down to the road, heading for the village. I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I had to try and help, at least see what was going on. My feet slapped the dirt as I bolted down the road, the smoke in the air getting thicker as I went. I could hear shouts, screams, explosions, the roaring of the fires.
I stopped, hearing a horse galloping down the road towards me. I could see its silhouette coming at me through the smog, and I could see it had a rider. It didn't look familiar. I stepped to the side, panting from my run, trying to figure out what a horse would be doing running out this way. I couldn't make out who it was in the smog and the dark night. All I could tell was that whoever it was was male.
To my surprise, they pulled the horse to a stop right in front of me, jumping down and running over to me. I took a step back, wondering what the heck the guy was doing, when he grabbed my shoulders, looking me in the eyes. “Kynri,” he said, his voice hoarse and panicked.
Then I realised who it was. “Father? What the heck's going on down there?”
He shook his head, glancing back at the village. “They came. Alistairians. They snuck in without us knowing, blending in with our citizens. Then the first Molotov cocktail flew, and it was hell from there. Look, we- I need you to get out of here. They're not allowed to find you.”
“Why not? What happens if they do?” I had no idea what he was talking about. I trusted him more than anybody else, but it was still hard to follow along.
“I- I can't tell you. Not right now. All I can say is that if they catch you, all hell is going to break loose.” Something explodes in the village, louder and closer than the others. They're working their way up the road, getting rid of everything. “Crap. They're moving faster than I thought. Get on the horse.” He pushed me towards the horse he'd ridden out on -I still had no idea how he afforded it, maybe stole it in the chaos- but I refused.
I planted my feet in the dirt, spinning on my heels to look at him. “I don't understand. Why can't you tell me? Why the hell should I just hop and that horse and ride out of here, leaving you and the whole village, everything, behind? Why do you want me to do that?”
He looked at me, his caramel eyes barely visible in the dark. He sighed, then gave me a small half-smile. “I have a feeling you'll find out soon enough. You just have to trust me. If you don't go now, what's happening to this village will happen to the whole country. Now, go.”
I opened my mouth to protest again, but his words repeated in my head; You just have to trust me. I sighed, giving him a sombre nod. I hesitated, then gave him a brief hug, the first I ever remember giving him- and probably the last. “Good luck, father.”
He pat my back, then I stepped away, climbing onto the horse. He made a slight salute, stepping back away from the horse. “God speed, kid. No, you're not a kid any more. You're a grown man.” Another explosion cut him off, followed by many screams and cheers. “You don't have much time. Go. Don't stop until you reach Makhdor.”
“Father, I-”
“Go!” he shouted, cutting me off. He slapped the back of the horse, stepping away from it. It reared, neighing, just as another plume of fire lit up the sky. They were so close now. The horse began galloping down the road, and the last I saw of my father was him running back towards the village, the flames silhouetting his form, before the smoke clouded my vision too much for me to see.