The Ember of Life

Chapter 1

"It's true," Ebony said, shrugging his sable shoulders. The black-scaled dragon narrowed his crimson eyes into glowing points."Dertharion has betrayed us and made off with our most prized treasure."

"Noo..." Jet breathed softly. She bowed her head, her eyes filling with tears. "How could he..? After we took him in...treated him like one of us!"

Ebony looked down. He could find no words of comfort for his wife. He was just as stunned and horrified as she was. It had been three months since they'd taken the injured dragon into their hidden village. He'd come to accept Dertharion as one of them, one of the Charred. He'd been a fool, Ebony now realized bitterly. How had he not seen the evidence of Dertharion's treachery before now? Minuscule hints rose up from the depths of his mind to reproach him. When he'd shown Dertharion the ember of life, their most sacred treasure, he spotted greed in the dragon's eyes for a brief instant. But Ebony had pushed it away at the time, telling himself it was a natural response from any dragon. He closed his eyes. It was all his fault. Not only had he overlooked small instances of treacherous intent, but he had been the one to risk their safety as a tribe in the first place. When Dertharion, heavily bleeding and close to death, dragged himself into the small corner of the jungle they called home, he had been the one to suggest they help him. Ebony groaned. How could he ever look his fellow Charred in the face again?

Jet draped a purple-tinted wing over his back comfortingly. "You must not be so hard on yourself, my love. No one will think any less of you as a leader. All you wanted to do was help him. The other Charred know that, and no one could've predicted this."

Ebony turned his horned head, looking at his wife. Her huge eyes were still glistening with tears, but she had pushed aside her own sorrows to focus on his. Affection for her flooded his heart, and he rubbed his scaly cheek against hers. "Thank you, my love."

She leaned against him, placing her delicate claw on his larger one."Just because you made a mistake doesn't mean that you're a terrible leader, Eb. You've kept us safe and happy here for so long,and you were the one who led us from the tyranny of Saliss."

"Thank you," Ebony repeated. He was deeply grateful for her support. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so low...so ashamed. To make matters worse, he still had to face his people and give them the news. He shuddered at the thought of their horrified faces, their once trusting looks turning to suspicion. Not even Jet's comforting warmth by his side could dispel the nightmare he was in. And...to make matters worse...he had brought this on himself. All of this was totally his fault. He dug his claws deep into the bark of the branch he had coiled himself on. Down, many feet below, his tribe waited. He had to go down.

Jet sensed his purpose. "If you are going down, then I will go with you," she declared, though her voice trembled.

"No,"Ebony said, gently disentangling himself from her. "This is my problem, not yours, my love."

"If you have a problem, it is mine as well. We are one." Jet pushed off from the branch, soaring downward with her massive wings outstretched.

Ebony hesitated only a second before diving off after her. For a moment, rushing through the cool morning air, he felt free. Then his claws sank into the damp jungle floor, and the penetrating eyes of his people were on him. About thirty of his tribe faced him, their red eyes glinting in the faint sun coming through the foliage overhead. Ebony sighed internally. Of course, he thought. His rival Obsidian, a smirk creasing his jaws, waited at the front of the accusing group.

"Well, well, well," Obsidian said slowly. "So our leader finally has dragged himself down here to tell us what's going on.How...prompt of him. How...brave."

Beside Ebony, Jet tensed, her claws curling in fury at the irony in Obsidian's tone. Ebony closed his eyes, putting a claw on her shoulder. The situation was too tense to resent the insinuation. Still, it stung. What stung most was that Obsidian was right. He HAD sought refuge in the trees away from his tribe. He had waited before breaking the news to his people. Because...he was afraid of telling them. He had been a coward. Hot shame burned in him, and his head drooped.

Obsidian smiled wickedly at the pair. "Oh...maybe it wasn't fear that prompted our brave leader to hide from his trusted friends and family. Maybe it was guilt." A gasp went up from the assembled dragons.

"I was wrong to hide from your gazes," Ebony admitted swiftly before Obsidian could twist the events any more. "I'm sorry, and I'm also sorry that I allowed Dertharion to enter our village...where he could steal our ember. But it was never guilt that kept me from coming to you immediately. It was shame at my failure."

His people murmured softly. Ebony was so ashamed that he could not raise his head to look them in the eyes.

Obsidian snorted out smoke. "Sorry? Dear leader, the ember is gone!"

"I know it is," Ebony said. "But arguing isn't going to bring it back. I have admitted my failure in this, so now let's move on and decide what we're going to do about this."

"Decide?" Obsidian laughed darkly. "Oh, Ebony, we've already decided for you! You took so long up there that we organized a court and banished you. You're no longer our leader. You're no longer one of the Charred. You leave our village tomorrow."

Ebony stared, every word cutting into his heart like a barb. "You...what?" Some of the dragons in the crowd turned their faces away from his agonized gaze, but Obsidian met his eyes calmly.

"Ebony, failure is not to be tolerated. You once led us from tyranny, it is true," Obsidian said, lashing his tail, "but now you are nothing but a weakling." He turned to the assembly behind him."Isn't that right?"

Horrified, Ebony saw nods and agreement from the dragons...his people...his friends. What nightmare is this?  he wondered. Jet had been writhing by his side, but now she could take no more, exploding, "Have you no gratitude? No shame? What is this?? Ebony is not just our leader; he is our friend! How can you treat a Charred in this manner?"

"Jet, he failed us," a voice said from the crowd. Ebony sought out the speaker with pained eyes. It was Midnight, the village hunter. Ebony swallowed. I...I thought he was my friend. The usually quiet greenish-black dragon raised his voice, calling out, "He lost our ember! The key to our Chroma! There were those who counseled him against taking the traitor in...but he did it anyway."

Jet glared so hard at Midnight that her eyes glowed like flame. She was opening her jaws to respond hotly, but Ebony gently squeezed her shoulder. This was not helping anything, though she meant well.

  "Thank you, beloved," he said to her, turning away. "But...I believe that this...COUNCIL, such as it is, has decided my fate already."