Ten Flames

Chapter 5: A Separation, An Old Man's Gift and Introducing the Vendice

Tsuna woke up at 5am bright eyed and bushy tailed. For some reason he felt rejuvenated after that good sleep, especially since manipulating multiple flames -though only to a small extent- really wore the brunette out. After spending an hour the night before in deep thought the brunette had decided his choice.

Summoning a night flame with the inky black edges threatening to spill from his hands he quietly whispered Bermuda's name. It took a few minutes before a large black portal made from the same dark flames opened up in his room with the tall figure known as Jager walking through and the smaller baby sitting on his shoulders.

"You've made a decision?"

Hesitatingly the child gave a shy nod.

"And?" Jäger prodded a little rudely Bermuda thought but he too was a little impatiently curious,

Golden brown eyes that his nothing and showed everything met with the two pairs of hidden ones. "I will live with yew." A weight the the highest ranking Vindice duo didn't even know they had was lifted off their shoulders. "Howewer- I hawve a wequest" The two older males paused at that. It was rare for people to even have the gall to negotiate with them, usually only people of high status can do so and even then there must be equal exchange after all they were the Vindice. A request was unheard of, it was considered a sign of selfish weakness to ask for something with nothing in return. They allowed the child to live with them in exchange for keeping a very valuable secret but even then the deal being of equal exchange was pushing the mark a little and now the young brunette wanted a request?

"Child we do not do requests or favours. It is on the same level as grovelling and begging. We are the Vindice and the Vindice have pride. If you want something you must give something of equal value. An eye for an eye. A life for a life. Do you understand?"

The tone was harsh and scalding like ice, cold enough to burn. A normal child-hell a normal man would have felt the need to cry over the tone alone but Tsuna wasn't just any grain of sand on the beach. His usual wide eyes sharpened ever so slightly as he nodded absorbing the information quietly. He understood where the two were getting at, yes he felt a little regretful at his choice of words and shamed at himself for causing such disappointment but the brunette just bit his trembling lip in order to stop himself from looking even more weak. "T-Then I hawv conditiowns to my choisu."

Bermuda nodded in approval encouraging the two-year old to continue.

"I cawn visit one a mownth for twee day."

"That... can be arranged easily." The young kid was a little shocked at how easy the acrobelano agreed but decided not to question the other. Even Jäger was a little blindsided (however he was able to disguise it better) since Bermuda could be quite childish when he wanted to and getting him to agree to something was no easy feat.

What they didn't know was the bandaged baby had already decided to let the brunette visit his home, he was only a toddler after all and the love of a parent is considered irreplaceable. Bermuda admitted that a child carrying a night flame intrigued the man greatly but he was not so heartless to deny an innocent kid his family.

"We will allow you till the end of the day to pack and say your farewells. Call the same way as before and we will locate your unique flame signature."

It really wasn't required for the child to speak his name for the Vindice boss to be summoned- after all the brunette other than himself was the only night flame user. Though if the child really thought he was using magic, telling him to summon the other really helps reinforces that fantasy as he sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to tell him otherwise and destroy his dreams- that's what subordinates are for.