"Crap, crap, crap!" Ghent continued to beat at the flames with his shirt, working like a crazed lunatic as he fought to rectify his latest, and arguably most absurd mistake yet.
	The flames sputtered and shrank as the dampness of the fabric made contact, but it wasn't enough to secure victory. Each time Ghent brought the shirt away in order to swing it again, the fire would spring back to life, fighting for dominance. This pattern created an endless game of tug-of-war that the deadly element was sure to win.
	Out of nowhere, Ghent felt someone grip, then rip the branch away from him, the bark scraping his palm due to the jerkiness of the action. He reacted with an indignant shout, more from surprise than pain. He turned his head sharply, horrified to see Drust towering above him, the fire reflecting in his curse-ridden eyes like a demon from hell.
	"Drust!" Ghent's voice shook. Before he could react further, the Knight's elbow sent him staggering backward. The boy accepted the shove, too stunned to take offense or object as he normally would. His gaze flickered toward the still-burning pants, a sick, sinking feeling in his gut. Hopefully Drust didn't value his pants the same way Elayra valued her dagger.
	[i]I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...[/i] Ghent winced as Drust's katana pierced the fabric, the sight of the blade making his skin crawl. [i]I'm TOTALLY gonna die![/i] He gripped his hair with both hands, playing the role of a useless bystander while the Knight worked to stomp out the flames.
	Unfortunately, the pants weren't enough to satisfy the fire's appetite. The tree was next on the menu, although Ghent's focus was on Drust so he hadn't noticed yet. Overhearing Elayra's shout, he turned, brows raised. In the confusion, he forgot he was living out a scene from a cliché nightmare, standing in the presence of others half-naked. 
	Baffled, Ghent tilted his head back to see for himself and inwardly screamed. The leaves were shriveling up and disappearing from view, victims to the flames devouring them. Embers and fragments of leaves and fluttered down around them, some coming too close for comfort.
	Another voice. This time, Drust was the one to snap Ghent out of his trance. The irritable Knight gave a focus word to use, with little time to use it. 
	"O-okay, okay!" Ghent was a mess. He lifted his arms, fingers outstretched, and winced. He preferred to practice saying focus words before using them, but he suspected Drust wasn't in the mood to play teacher. He swallowed hard, his eyes wide and unblinking. He needed to concentrate, but he wasn't sure how. There was too much at stake, too much noise, and Drust was on the warpath.
	Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation, Ghent abandoned his pose to cover his ears with his palms. He squeezed his eyes shut as if that would shut out the chaos, desperate for a moment to connect with the world's magic. The magic was still very much there; he could sense it, feel it. He imagined reaching out to it as if it was a physical object rather than an invisible force, and he focused on what he wanted. He wanted the fire to go out.
	When he felt a familiar pull, Ghent's eyes flew open and he lifted his arms toward the tree a second time. "E...EXTINGUO!" 
	Hopefully, Wonderland's magic would answer his desperate cry once more.