The Eruption

The young girl danced in the sunlight. Her chestnut hair highlighted by the suns rays. The smell of warm fresh-baked bread and a nearby bush of lavender filled the air. Thundertree was her home. She ran down the main path through town saying good morning to those she passed. Her destination was the river just on the other side of town. She was going to meet her best friend in the world for a midday swim. When she arrived Nars was waiting for her.
“Hey Nilsa! Over here” shouted Nars “I’ve been waiting for hours!”
“That’s a lie and you know it! Mirna told me she gave you two apple pies only 15 minutes ago. Where is mine.” Joked Nilsa
“Fine, you got me... let's eat!”
They both dug into their fresh apple pies, spiced, sweet and still warm from the oven. They lay under the shade of a maple tree on the river bank and told each other tall tales and gossip about the others around town. Eventually, Nilsa asked Nars one question in particular.
“So did Tal tell you when he and the others were going to be back? They’ve been gone for a while now. Must be at least two tendays.” Wondered Nilsa out loud
“He said they were going to a secret underground fortress to find some apples. I told him to bring some back so Mirna could make a special batch of her pies.” Shrugged Nars
“That reminds me! I want to show you something. Tal gave it to me before he left... said to look after it until he came back.”
“But weren’t we going to swim?” Said Nilsa
“That can wait, what I’m going to show you is super cool... I can’t believe I forgot about it.”
They both ran back towards town. Almost bumping into Garon the local Inn keeper as they cut through a path behind The Brown Horse. The old man shook his head as they ran past. Eventually they arrived at Nars’ family home which was above the Herb and alchemy shop. Nars’ parents must have been out as the shop door was locked but Nars knew another way in They went straight to the storage room behind the counter and Nars got a box out of a secret section in the bottom of some storage shelves. Opening the box revealed a glistening silver dagger with a golden handle inlaid with emeralds.
“Wow it’s beautiful, must be worth a million gold pieces.” said Nilsa “But why would Tal give it to you?”
“Because he knows I’m going to be adventurer like him when I grow up and protect the ones I care about!” proclaimed Nars as he took the dagger from the box. “Look I’ve been practicing” he waved the dagger through the air with limited skill.
“I think you should talk to Thel the hunter about how to hold a dagger before you hurt yourself” giggled Nilsa.
“One day you’ll see” said Nars placing the dagger back in the box and safely away in its hidden compartment.
Suddenly the earth shook, at first enough to rattle the jars on the nearby shelves then move violently, tipping shelves and cupboards into one another. Nars ran to the door 
“Quickly we should get out of this room” he yelled. 
Nilsa was close behind when a gigantic gust of ash and dust slammed the door shut and there was darkness. Nilsa hear screaming moments before she was struck in the back of the head and into unconsciousness.
When Nilsa awoke she could not tell if her eyes were open or closed. Her whole body ached as she felt her way around the storage room. Eventually, she found the door and was able to force it open just enough to see into the rest of the shop. When she peered out she saw Nars’ body face down in the middle of the floor. Everything covered in a thick layer of ash. 
“Nars!” She burst out of the door and over to his body. “Nars! Get up.” As she rolled his body over concern was overcome by fear. Where his eyes should have been there were now charred sockets of blackness. His skin had become a sickly shade of grey. Nilsa felt fingers clawing into her arm ripping into her flesh. Foul-smelling ash belched into her face pouring out of Nars’ blackened mouth. Coughing, spluttering, trying to scream but unable to she did not see Nars before she felt his teeth cutting into her throat. All she could manage were muffled screams before the sunlight left her eyes.