Passion

Chapter 4

The fire reached as far as the horizon, raising its hands up to the heavens. Smoke rolled of the tips of the flames, rising into the clouds and turning them a dark grey.

Anything in its path smoldered and collapsed as a pile of ashes, becoming part of the charred remains that no one would care to go over ever again.

Night was fast approaching, but the flames kept the area completely illuminated, casting shadows of death throughout the land. Dying screams of humans and beasts alike filled the air.

Field after field was consumed, buildings fell, trees splintered and bent, and the god of death drifted over the blackened land.

A lone figure stood in the center of the chaos, his head hidden under his gloved hands as a tear spilled from his chin. Tremors raked his body.

Someone- a child approached him, her small feet stepping over anything in her path as the fire split before her. When she stood next to the boy, she reached his chest.

"Captain says that were done here." her small voice said cheerfully. "We need to go." She noticed his condition and grabbed onto his shoulder, spinning him towards her. "What's wrong with you?"

The boy took a deep breath and let his hands drop to his sides, revealing a completely calm face. "Nothing," he murmured, looking away. "I just freaked out for a moment."

The girl smiled widely and tsked, "Captain won’t like the sound of that."

"Say anything and I'll personally kill you while you sleep." The boy said, giving her a warning look, although they both knew he wasn't capable of doing something like that.

She turned and walked away the direction she came from. "Only if Captain doesn't murder you first. You should know that he hates to see weak people."

"You wouldn't dare tell him." trailing close behind, the boy reached out to grasp her hand.

"This world is a competition Danny," she said, "And sometimes we have to use dirty means to get what we want."

Danny stopped and watch her disappear in the haze of the flames.

"Besides," he heard her say from far away, "I've pretended that I haven't seen you in that state for the past year."

Slowly the flame burned everything away, leaving only a white haze.

The image changed to the inside of a small shed, there was a florescent light hanging from the ceiling, it swung back and forth slowly, changing the shadows angles. Chains were nailed into the wall, giving the room a dreary feeling.

On one wall there were two children, held against the wall by the very chains this room was full of. A tall man paced restlessly in front of them, slamming a whip against his palm every three seconds.

A large puddle had formed under the two children, formed from the cuts the marred their bodies.

"Why is it that I'm being told that my very own pupil was crying in the middle of the mission?" the man spat.

"I-I'm-" the older one- Danny- attempted to explain.

The whip was slammed across his abdomen, causing him to bite his tongue in order to keep from screaming out. Blood pooled through his torn shirt and began to trail down his body, ending its journey at the floor below him.

"Never stutter you worthless shit." the older man said, approaching Danny and pressing a hand against his windpipe. "Especially not when you haven't even been allowed to speak."

"I apologize sir."

The whip was slammed against his legs, and this time he let out a blood curling scream.