| |
It is true that the death tolls were similar, as was the extent of property destruction, but the method is grossly dissimilar. The bodies of the townspeople involved were butchered and then incinerated. Afrit show a characteristic joy in the act of killing and are seen immediately leaving one victim for another. Also, it must be noted that oftentimes death seems ancillary to their purposes; they appear much more focused on mass destruction and the creation of great fires.
It must be noted, however, that we do have empirical evidence of an earlier observation of an Afrit. It is a small mention, but very compelling: “… behind the park was a small imp of strange devilishness. As I watched, it slashed its claws against the roof and lit the town hall ablaze. Perhaps frightened by the immediacy of alarms, or perhaps its own power, it flew off to the West and out of my sight” (Civilization’s Birth: An End of Nights, 503). The account goes on to mention indirect and, admittedly, more controversial evidence.
The main facts to note are the flame made from a hand-like appendage and the flight to the west. This method of fire creation is unique to the Afrit, although they prefer to expel it from their mouths. Also, we know that the Halls of Flame are situated exactly west of this event.
Thus, the first appearance of the Afrit is pushed back thirteen centuries – nearly double our original estimates. We can easily conclude that they lived around the time of the other burgeoning races of Cronos. Their lack of visibility in the following centuries could be a parallel to the isolation tendencies of other racial groups.
|
|
|
 |
