The Flame of Choice

Chapter 3.

As Atreius was being escorted to the palace with the group of soldiers that had confronted him at the burning building. He had a sad expression on his snout while he walked the halls in the middle of the group. His mind was only fixated on how this all happened and as he kept thinking about it, tears would fall even more from his eyes and snout, silently. His heart was broken that he had lost everyone he cared now.

As they walk through the doors to the throne room, Queen Scarlet was sitting on the throne with her signature smile, "It's about time you visited me." She said as she got off her throne.

Atreius was positioned in front of her, but a few meters away for her safety. He sensed something very sour as he sat there before her, "I don't like visiting you, you know this. But I have no choice now, do I?" He began, his tone strained from the crack in his soul.

Scarlet smirked and shook her head no, "You are correct, my how have you grown! So mature, so strong, so smart, unlike your step father." She said with an evil tone. "It's a shame that he had to die in such a way. Burned alive, while the building collapsed down on him." She said causing Atreius to suddenly realize what she was saying.

The look on his snout and body tensed as he began to growl trying not to flare his firescales, "Are you saying you did this?!" He said his tone of voice causing the guards to approach. Though Acer who had accompanied him stayed where he was watching Atreius and Scarlet, knowing exactly what had happened and felt guilty for letting it.

The queen looked at him with no regret and no sympathy, "I maybe had some say in it." She partially lied, unphased by Atreius's furious glare.

Atreius did not like this answer at all, as his restraints on controlling his anger has finally broke, "I'm going to burn you alive for this!!" He roared, his scales flaring with immense heat, magma-like color glowing in between his scales themselves. His wings flared out and the star like pattern had started to glow like fire embers.

As Atreius began to take a step forward, Scarlet was now a little fearful at the sight of how his scales heated up this way, the glow in between them surprised her. She motioned her guards to move forward to keep him from harming her. "Atreius, this is not how you should be thanking me.." She said.

This boiled Atreius's anger more, "Thank you?! Why would I thank you for taking the last thing I had of a family left?!" He said trying to get to the queen pushing further towards her, soldiers backing up not liking the way is scales sizzled, smoked and glowed hotly.

Acer was thinking maybe he should intervene and try to calm down Atreius before he did something he would absolutely regret. But he stayed put and watched until said to speak.

"Because he was going to give you away to a group called the Talons of Peace." She stated as Atreius stopped in his tracks at this.

His look now a mixture of shock and anger, he clenched his eyes shut, remembering what Piyre had told him, "Don't trust anybody."

He then looked at Scarlet with a thought, "If he did, he had good reason. He's told me that this group had formed together to try and stop the on going war."

He was now understanding why Scarlet had done this and he wasn't going to stand for it. But if he did something to cause himself to be banished from the Kingdom, he'd have no home anymore.

Scarlet was watching him think for a good minute, before sighing in relief as his scales cooled down, the glow dimming down but the star like pattern remained an ember like color instead of it's original white star color.

He didn't say a word and just sat down calming down and planning on what to do next, looking at Acer from the corner of his eyes with a suspicious glare. Making the pale pink Skywing flinch and become uneasy as he knew what he meant by the glare.

Scarlet now clasped her talons together and smiled, "Now! Atreius I would like you to stay here at the palace. You will have your own room with anything you'd like in it." She said before everyone jumped, hearing screaming as a guard had ran into the throne room with their tail on fire and partially already burned.

A few moments later, a giggling bright glowing orange dragonet with firey blue eyes, the same age as Atreius, walked in as well. Her giggling was stopped short as she had entered a room with all eyes on her. Now feeling insecure she made her way around to sit next to the throne. Noticing Atreius sitting with guards around, she began to stare at him in curiosity.

Scarlet watched her with surprise before she looked at Atreius, "Atreius, I would like you to meet Peril here." She said as Atreius looked at the dragonet that was identified as Peril.

When Peril saw his eyes she was in shock as how deep blue they were.

Atreius studied her quietly before hearing Scarlet soak again, moving his eyes to look at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"She also has firescales like you do. Except she can't control them." She said with a smile. The two dragonets looked at each other with the similar look of shock. But the thoughts on how they were shocked, were complete opposites.
"And I want you to be her friend." She said, but Atreius noted her tone has something in it that said it wasn't just about that.

And with that the next chapter is up, I'm sorry it's a bit late, be expecting another chapter to be up today. The next chapter, I will give you an idea on what will happen here. Atreius is of the age to find out he has animus powers so I will be putting that somewhere in the next chapter. If any of you need info on him I will see what I can do to give it info on how he has this ability. With that said here's the 3rd chapter, I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts on it the book so far!!