There was no way she was going to make it. The jump was too big. Fiamma grinded to a halt at the very edge of the bank. She'd been running for miles. This river was the last obstacle for her- she needed to cross it. There was no bridge in sight, and walking until she found one would take too long; there was no time. Fiamma calculated the distance to the other side. If she gave herself enough of a head start, she might be able to make the leap. Then again, she might not. More than her own life was at stake here. If she made it across, she might be in time to save the villagers the few miles away. If she didn't, they'd perish, as would she.

If she didn't make it across, she'd die. Fire elementals don't do well in water. They went out. No, they weren't on fire themselves, but that was their spirit- fire. And water would naturally douse them. Fiamma gritted her teeth. She had to at least try. She slowly backed up from the ravine.

Her heart pounding, Fiamma ran towards the edge of the bank and pushed off at the last possible second. She soared over the river and came down on the opposite side of the embankment. She dug her nails in, clawing at the loosely packed dirt. She slid down the side, dangerously close to the water lapping along below her.

Hand over hand, Fiamma climbed towards the top of the ravine. She was aware of every second that passed. Suddenly, Fiamma's handhold loosened. The dirt was too thin, and it gave way. Desperately, Fiamma tried to grab ahold of anything that would keep. Nothing. Fiamma let out a strangled scream as she plummeted.

Fiamma landed hard on her back, the wind temporarily knocked out of her. She glanced down. Why wasn't she dead in the water? Miraculously, Fiamma had landed on a piece of driftwood in the river. She wasn't far from the edge, but she had no way to steer the wood over. She broke off the edge of her makeshift raft and pushed the wood where she wanted it. The current wasn't very strong and soon Fiamma was climbing the embankment again.

Clearing the top of the ravine, Fiamma took off running. She'd be in time, she knew it. She had to be. After surviving the river, there was no way Nature would slow her down now. Fiamma ran blindly ahead, on and on.

She should've reached help by now. Time was slipping away. There! Light, the next village. Fiamma broke through a patch in the dense woods, and stopped. Falling to her knees, Fiamma cried. She'd reached her own village. There was nothing left of it, having been flooded. Her family, friends, all fire elementals, none had stood a chance. They were gone as soon as the water hit. She'd survived the river, but come up on the same side of the embankment. And it was too late.