FireSweet

Conclave

“Flame!  Gittoran Flame!  Get up Miss, I have to take you!”

                I groaned and tried to bat the incessant hand away, wanting more sleep after the pressing work-outs of the day before. 

                “Go ‘way!” I growled

                The hand persisted, eventually jolting me from my blissful slumber and into wakefulness.  Briamy’s light laughter danced through the room when I cracked my eyelids to glare at her.  I sat up slowly, trying to stop my brain from rattling around within my skull from her shaking.    I glared up at Briamy, for of course she was the only one who would shake me in such a manner. 

                “What do you want?” I asked.  “What in the Griffon’s name would make you wake me before dawn breaks?”

                She smirked at me, the light in her eyes betraying that she held a secret from me. 

                “Are you going to spit it out then?” I said, fumbling around the bed for my blades.  “I could be sleeping right now instead of playing guessing games with you.  I should’ve slit your throat anyway for waking me up like that.”

                “Get dressed,” she whispered.  “We have to be gone before the sun rises.”

                I sighed at her and climbed out of bed, tying my hair up in a smooth ponytail and un-wrapping my tattoo so I could tighten the ties that hid it from the world.  Before I could re-cover the bright mark, Briamy’s eyes were drawn to it.  She stared at the already pale stripe on my shoulder.  Days of wandering in the sun had turned the rest of my body a light gold, making the scarlet marking stand out even more against the pale flesh.

                “So what’s so bad about your name that you must hide it?” she asked, flopping herself down on the warm bed she had forced me from.

                I glanced at the mark uneasily, reluctant to tell her.  She noticed my indecision and laughed softly, catching one of my hands in comfort.

                “Come now Gittoran, I am a servant sent from Carnie’s crew.  Who would listen to me even if I did choose to betray your confidence?  I am no one.”

                “Karius,” I whispered, “He and the others continue to look for an excuse to throw me out.  They resent me still.”

                She stood up, carefully peeling my hand from where I had subconsciously covered up the mark again.  She studied it; I could feel her warm breath on my shoulder, the light touch of her finger as she traced the scarlet “G”.  I craned my neck around and peered at the tattoo.  It looked different than it had when I last looked at it.  The letter was persistent, but it was now nestled in the heart of a flame that took up most of my shoulder.  I remembered the voices that had pounded inside my head.  They had called me “Flame”.  Obsidarian too, he had called me Flame the day before.  When they changed my name, the tattoo had altered as well, masking my true identity.

                “Everyone calls you Gittoran Flame,” she whispered softly.  “But you have another name don’t you?  An original last name?”

                “To show my relation to my brother.” I croaked out, my throat suddenly going dry.

                “And who is he?” she urged gently.

                “Red… first mate to the Captain Tempest Storm, he disowned me upon my arrival and was prepared to hand me over to his precious captain for my death.”