The Flame of Choice

Chapter 5.

Hey everybody, I'm sorry that I haven't been actively updating this chapter like I said I would. I've been struggling with depression and it is hard to deal with at times. But I'll try and update more now, I swear it. Do not let me wait this long to update again please.

It's been 2 years since Piyre had died in the fire and Atreius had found out he was an animus. Scarlet had instructed Atreius to never to use his animus powers for anything unless she told him to do so. With that he did as told, but instead, did research on his so called animus powers. Only seeming to find the consequences of having them, losing a part of his soul every time he used his power.

After researching more during those two years, he found out that his Nightwing blood was connected to Darkstalkers bloodline, his great, great, great, great, great, great, great and many more great grandmother was Whiteout, Darkstalker's younger sister. Darkstalker had killed their father by enchanting him. Forcing him to kill himself very gruesomely in front of the entire Nightwing Tribe. Knowing this would possibly be an outcome he would succumb to, he thought long and hard on how to keep himself from losing his soul and going insane the way his ancestors did long before he did.

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Summer had come quickly as Atreius was just about to turn 6 years old, no longer a dragonet. He was very strong for a dragonet his age, he had learned how to protect himself in combat by training with Skywing soldiers, well at least to him it was training. He gained a few scars here and there, but it was worth it for him to learn new ways to defend himself.

The day was young and he was still in his room, still thinking of ways to save his own soul, writing ideas down on a scroll at his desk. He was so close to an answer he could almost taste it. But as soon as he was getting even closer to the answer, the door had opened and a bright warm scaled dragoness walked into the room.

"Hey Atre! How are you today?" Peril asked bounding over, carefully watching her step to avoid burning any of the furniture.

Atreius looked up from his scroll and grabbed a cloth from the side of his desk, wiping his talons clean of the ink, "I'm alright, Peril. What have I said about barging into my room like that?" He asked her, stepping away from the desk and over to the balcony outside, motioning her to follow him.

She quickly followed him to the balcony, replying to his question, "Knock first before entering, I know. But today's a very special day! Your hatching day! Aren't you going to celebrate it?" She asked sitting next to him, nudging him playfully as she smiled.

The hybrid sighed softly as he did in fact know that it was his hatching day. He just didn't want to celebrate it because it just reminds him of the things he's lost, "I don't want to celebrate it, you know I don't like doing that." He said as looked at her with a pained look.

Her wings drooped a little and she nodded her head before laying her tail over his to comfort him, "I'm sorry, Atreius, I forget that you don't like your hatching day for that reason... And I should probably shut up now, huh?" She asked, after noticing the annoyed look the hybrid was giving her.

Atreius snorted in amusement before speaking again, "So have you been practicing on controlling your firescales lately?" He asked her as he was tasked in teaching her how to control them. Which was more difficult than he originally thought it would be.

She nodded her head yes slowly before answering his question further, "I have yes, but I can't get to the point where I won't burn anything... the most I can do is get to a boiling temperature. But no more than that, I'm sorry Atre.." She said looking down, feeling bad as she could not control her scales the way he could.

Atreius sighed and nodded his head, "Well, at least it's getting to that point, but I don't think I can help anymore Peril. I've done all I can to teach you how." He said before the door to his room opened again, earning a groan from him, "How many other dragons are gonna barge into my room like this?!"

He said yelled before turning around to see Queen Scarlet entering the room, shutting up instantly before bowing to her, Peril doing the same next to him.

Scarlet walked over to the two and looked at Peril, "Leave." She demanded and Peril immediately left the room, wanting nothing to do with the Skywing queen.

Scarlet then turned her attention to Atreius, who stayed in a bowing position, she grinned as she spoke to him, "Happy Hatching Day Atreius, I have some thrilling news for you." She said, making him grimace from being told happy hatching day, but even more so from the news.

Atreius sat up so he could speak, "Thank you, your majesty, what is the thrilling news you wish to tell me?" He asked with slight curiosity but more nervous in thought.

She walked around the room, looking around at everything he had, heading over to the desk and looking at the scroll he had been writing on, seeing ideas on how to save his soul. She then looked back at the hybrid and smiled mischievously, "I am putting you in a tournament to become one of my top generals." She said to him, the smile on her face plain to see that there was a catch.

"What's the catch?" He asked her, his tail flicking in aggravation on being entered in a tournament he wanted no part in.

The Skywing queen newly smirked and shrugged, "More respect, and you're of the age so why not? Plus it'll give you the certain tools to get what you want." She said with enthusiasm.

Atreius pondered this in his head quietly, thinking he could use being a general to find his parents or what happened to them, "How long do I have to prepare?" He asked looking back at the desk where his scroll was.

She followed his gaze and smiled mischievously, "Till this evening and I know what you're trying to do. You're soul will always be taken away no matter what you do. Animus powers or not, you're still a monster. My monster." She said, before making her way to the door.

Atreius grunted and went back to his desk, dipping his talon into his ink pot to start writing once more, but paused as Scarlet spoke one last time before editing, "I have armor for you to wear this evening as well, being prepped right now, so go see the smithy before the tournament."

He nodded his head to her as she left the room and he looked back at the scroll before him, finally getting an idea, writing it down on the scroll.

Take away my strength instead of my soul.

There's chapter 5 for you all! This was probably by far my longest chapter I've written in a long long time. I'm honestly wanting to write the next chapter tomorrow, cause I'm not gonna have much to do and I have a crap room of ideas for the next chapter. Anyways it's pretty late, enjoy this chapter, let me know what you all think of it and point out errors that need to be corrected.