This is just a weird little headcanon of mine, that the Hero of Oakvale is afraid of fire. I think it would make sense, considering what happened to his home when he was young.

Wow. Now I can never use fire-based spells in the original Fable again. Thanks, self ._.

"Alright, you've been doing well with the Lightning spell the past few days, I think it's ready for you to try learning a new spell."

The young teenage boy could barely contain a grin as soon as he'd heard the words leave his teacher's mouth. Sure, the Lightning spell had been exhilarating the first few days, but it started to get boring. He was looking forward to whatever spell the Guildmaster planned to teach him next. Maybe a spell to freeze his enemies, or one to summon those ghostly phantom blade thingies that he'd seen other heroes use. Those were pretty cool. Or a spell to raise the dead! Or hell, maybe even one that would make him faster or more agile than Whisper. He hated that she always seemed to dodge his attacks. She'd always laugh at him and say, "Too slow, farm boy!"

Farm Boy. Oh how that dumb nickname got on his last nerve. There was nothing wrong with farmers! Why did she say it like it was an insult? All just because of where he was from, even though he hadn't even seen Oakvale in five years.

"Boy, are you paying any attention to me?"

He looked up at the Guildmaster and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I got distracted."

"You're always distracted..." The older man muttered, "I just hope you don't get caught daydreaming when you're out in the real world. It could get you killed. Now, today I'm going to teach you the Enflame spell."

The boy nodded, excited. He'd seen others demonstrate this spell. He couldn't wait to try it for himself.

Enflame was a spell that surrounded the user with flames, setting anyone and anything around him or her ablaze. Very cool.

"Now, with Lightning, you had to focus on a target. But with Enflame, you have to make the fires surround you. It may be a little difficult to grasp at first." The Guildmaster explained, "So don't feel discouraged if you don't get it right away. Now, watch me..."

It took quite a while before he actually got the try the spell for himself. He had to watch several demonstrations and listen to several directions and explanations before he finally got it.

"Okay, okay. Lemme try again."

He waited for his teacher to back a safe distance away before taking a deep breath and focusing his energy. Then he released it in a flurry of flames that surrounded him, like a cocoon of scorching heat. He kept it going for a few seconds, then let it die down. He looked over to his teacher to see a look of approval. "Good job! Why don't you try to make a larger flame now?"

"Okay!" He grinned, an idea popping into his mind. Then he imagined the old man's face when he saw what his young student was capable of. He would make the biggest flames ever! Then they'd all be impressed. He cast the spell again, putting as much energy as he could muster into the flame, fueling it with his determination.

Then his eyes widened, his smile fading into an expression of shock. Were those screams? Screams! Where were they coming from? Sounds of pure fear and agony surrounded him. Sounds of people screeching in agony as the fire slowly fed on their bodies. Putrid smells of flesh burning away. He gagged on the arid taste of smoke that filled his lungs, almost making him forget the feeling of oxygen. What was happening? Had he hurt someone?

Before he even knew where he was going, he was running. But he was not running through the Hero's Guild, no. He was running through a town engulfed in orange flames that licked at the black night sky. His heart raced as he desperately called out, his voice sounding more fearful and childish than he'd ever heard it. "Father!"

The heat raked over his face as he sprinted deeper into the town, the tears that he cried evaporated nearly as fast as they were shed. "Mum!"

He whipped his head around, searching for the faces of his family, but only finding the equally familiar faces of his neighbors. People that he'd seen and spoken to only just that afternoon were either dead or dying, their bodies on their way to becoming nothing but ash.

"Theresa!"

Still, his cries went unanswered.

He skidded to a halt to keep himself from running head first into a wall of flames, turning around only to watch a tree collapse in front of him, blocking his path. He frantically turned in a circle, trying to see a way out, but all routes were blocked off by the inferno. He covered his face with his small, gloved hands. "Help me!"

Then he felt a cool hand on his shoulder.

The heat around him ebbed, the image of angry red and orange flames faded. The screams died away, replaced with the sound of the stream that flowed around the Will practice area.

"You lost control."

Suddenly the black color of the formerly soft green grass became apparent. Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as he looked around. All of the grass was now dead, burned to a crisp. As well as the dummies that had been used for practice with ranged spells. Everything.

As the Guildmaster pulled his hand away, the burn became apparent as well.

"Y-Your hand!"

The old man blinked, then looked down at his hand. "Ah, yes. Well that happens sometimes. Don't worry about it, my boy. I'm more worried about you. Are you alright?"

"I-I..." A few sobs escaped his throat as he buried his face in his hands, "I don't know! I..."

"You were calling for your family... did you see Oakvale again?"

He nodded, "Y-Yes... I don't think I want to learn Enflame..."

The Guildmaster sighed. "I think that's enough training for now anyways. Why don't you go inside and get some rest?"

The young hero nodded, starting to walk back towards the building. Maybe he'd try to get to sleep early, even though something told him that his rest would not be pleasant. Not tonight.