The affliction of fire

Fire is an element that inherently consumes.  Fire cannot sustain itself without devouring (scientifically) 2, (3) things if you wanna be specific.

Oxygen, some sort of fuel, and a spark.  Whether it 'consumes' the spark is up to you.

The 'affliction of fire' is something that certain individuals are affected with.

The affliction of fire is something that is innate to fire.  It's a gift with a price.  A burden with benefits.  Whatever you wanna call it, it is what it is ultimately.

Now what does it even mean?

The gift / burden of fire means that you will always consume, for the rest of your life.  The price it consumes with?  You'll never be satisfied.  Ever.

There's a difference between being satiated and satisfied.  By satisfied, I mean truly satisfied.  One's desire can be satiated for the time being, you can have sex and sigh a relief that it satisfied the urge - that's satiation.  To be satisfied is to attain something, and be completely and ultimately happy with it, and want nothing more or less.

Some might argue that all people are never truly 'satisfied'.  This may be true... I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I mean it in the sense that goes deeper than the surface level of satisfied.  It's almost like a pit in your soul that cannot be filled.

The affliction of fire demands you do great and tremendous things both small and large, no matter what the fire in you drives you to push harder, drive further, to take yourself to levels most can only speak of in legend.  The drive and passion that fire carries is not seen in other elements, it's an a lot of ways, unworldy (like the sun.)  All other elements are native based, they are terrestrial.  They are grounded and understandable... but fire is an uncommon element.  A rare element.  It belongs to the sun, it belongs to energy found deep within the earth hidden away from sight or high in the sky, always to be seen.  It is not native to the ground like earth, air, or water.

Fire is an element to be regarded with an awe.

This is why we huddle next to fire and watch it dance to and fro, feel it's warmth against our bodies, watch it lick the air alive just to dwindle down and rise high again.

This is why we fear fire, we run when fire rages, we are scorned when it burns, we quell it when it gets too outrageous and tries to consume everything.

Fire is a dichotomous element.

The affliction of fire drives the afflicted to do grand things.  To push themselves where no one else dare tread, but at the same time, it drains the afflicted.  Once they have conquered lands untouched, they move on ever forward in an endless cycle.  They are never satisfied, they are always driven to keep going, they can never cease, they push on endlessly.  This isn't something they choose.  They are afflicted with fire.  Fire is entwined into their soul, it is such an integral part of their soul that to rip it asunder would simply leave the afflicted soul stripped and barren.  It is a symbiotic relationship, and to deem it a parasite is to completely undermine every good thing fire does for their soul.

The affliction of fire is to be admired and pitied, all at the same time.