“Passion and fury”

  David found himself in yet another with unlit torches hung by the wall.

  Then with a simply snap of a finger, the torches lit up on by one.

  “The heat and rush, the sensation of boiling blood pumping with each heartbeat. Passion and fury must within your very soul like an unquenchable ember igniting to a raging inferno”, Flani spoke, her body igniting and engulf with a brilliant blazing aura and her eyes now blazing red dragon eyes.

  David upon seeing her felt his heart been to pound and race underneath his chest only fear as he watched Flani make her way towards him.

  “To understand attribute of fire, you must know what it means to burn”, said Flani before rushing straight for him with burst of flames and driving a flaming fist straight in to his gut, sending falling straight in to the wall.

  David managed to get back up on his feet fast enough to avoid receiving another strike from Flani, dodging out of the way before her flaming fist could reach him. Fist, instead of reaching David, struck the wall with a strong enough impact that it caused it crack and break.

  Then could only let out sigh of relieve, thankful managed to dodge that blow.

  Flani then smiled before saying, “You’re just like her you know. Just as na?ve and innocent. Let’s fix that problem shall we”.

  Flani then pry her fist off the wall and then proceeded to stretch out her arm and aim it at David. David then instinctively brought out both his hands to block Flani’s impending attack.

  Flani just chuckled tilting her stretched out arm to the side and then giving simply gesture. A torrent of flame then flew out from one of the lit torches straight for David who expected an attack directly was from Flani.

  The flames struck David sent flying once more before crashing straight to the ground.

  Flani let out a breath of smoke as she made her way to David with each step she took, her feet ignite the floor around her ablaze with a raging flame.

  “To command fire and flame you must feel the heat in your heart, blazing like an untamed flame. Burning with furious passion so great that it consumes you”, David looked at Flani as she approached him, her body along with the her surroundings ablaze, with pure fear and terror in his eyes.

  “To command the flame, you must burn from within”, Flani said before stretching out her towards David and commanding the flames to rush straight to him.

  The very next thing David could remember seeing was her fierce fiery red eyes watching as the flames consumed him before being completely engulfed by the flames.

  “Listen up you over grown maggots”, a man with grey white hair and an eye patch on his left eye said facing the fire dragon students.

  Steven just scowled in annoyance, wanting him to just get on with the lesson already as he was sick and tired of standing along with the other students surrounded by trees in the middle of the forest.

  The man’s names was Fernrino, he was an old man with a body that looked as though it had experience its fair share of just how cruel and brutal the world can be, underneath his clothes were hundred scars, each and every one of them earn battle, a rest of the many wounds inflicted upon him by none other than the dark dragon warriors. Though all his wounds had healed over time, one still remain, a blind eye, result of a truly bloody battle, and although it had be ages since he felt the sensation of sight from that eye he could still recall the immense heat and flash from a raging flame before everything went pitch black.

  Fernrino then let out a deep sigh as he pushed those unwanted and painful memories aside and focused on the students.

  “Fire”, he spoke as conjured up a small flame on his open palm.

  “Hot intense and if not control properly”, Fernrino then hurled the flame at a nearby rock, engulfing it in a fiery explosion upon impact.

  “Can be very destructive”, said Fernrino.

  “Just start the damn lesson already old man”, Steven said underneath his breath.

  “But you all already knew that, didn’t you, especially you Steven”, said Fernrino while looking at Steven with his one good eye.

  Steven, with a visible scowl on his face, looked away from them. The gray haired man just chuckled at Steven’s rebellious spirit, already having gotten used to his attitude after being a training instructor in the academy for so long.

  “Alright, seeing as most of you are so impatient to start the lesson, I’ll make this brief. *Sigh*, what happened a few days ago was a tragedy. Our beloved academy was attacked by those monsters and we lost the Golden Dragon General”, Fernrino paused for a moment, glancing at Steven to see his face bowed down and his fist clench tightly, with a pain that couldn’t be mistake for fury and rage.

  Fernrino then let out a breath before continuing, “They were truly fine noble warriors, I should know. I fought alongside them during the reign of the Dark Dragon Lord. There death is real loss not just for us but for the entire world. But that’s how life is. Death, a grim as it may be, is a part of life and it’s time for you to go *sigh*...”

  Steven tried to muster every single ounce of strength he had not to shed a tear but he wasn’t strong enough to hold back his pain, and before he knew small drops of tears escaped from eyes. Steven immediately wiped them, refusing to show any form of weakness.

  Fernrino, seeing Steven trying his very best to hold back his pain and while he wiped away his tears could only sigh and nod his head before turning to the rest of the students.

  “I know we are on uncertain time and I will make no attempt to lie to you and say the attack on the academy a few days ago would be the last attack you would ever face. I’ve lived a long enough life to know that wouldn’t be the case. The road ahead will not be easy; most of you may face many trials and endure unimaginable pain but you mustn’t fret or falter even for a moment. You are all fire dragon warriors and the flames that burn within you heart must never die” said Fernrino.

  His words seemed to have resonated deep with the hearts of the students, making them eager, and filling them all with renewed zeal and determination to face what may comes their way, well all except Steven who just bowed his head while clenching his fist hard.

  Fernrino, seeing all the students so eager and filled with energy just smiled and nodded his head at them before saying, “Alright, I know we usually exercises to help you all better control your elemental powers, from breathing to heat channelling and so forth. But in light of recent event, think it’s time we change our usual routine”.

  The students then looked their teacher, wonder what he meant by change their usual routine.

  “Today’s exercise is a simple one. You see that hill over there”, Fernrino pointed at a hill not too far away from where they stood passed the trees that surrounded them cover luscious green grass.

  “All you have to is make your way up that hill”, said Fernrino.

  “That’s it, this will be easy”, one of the student smirked, thinking that the task given to them would be a piece of cake.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about them Jake”, said Fernrino to the student with mischievous smile on his face.

  “Just get along with the lesson old man”, Steven spoke out of annoyance and impatience.

  “Alright, seeing you all impatient, some more than others”, he spoke while looking at Steven.

  “The only thing I have left to say is there is only one you all must adhere to. No using dragons and if you do, you fail my class. Now, you all may go”, said Fernrino.

  With those words said, the students were off, racing through forest to the to the hill as their legs could carry them.

  “This way too easy”, said Jack as he sprinted through the forest.

  “Hey Steven”, Jack smirked at Steven earning him a death glare from him.

  “Fancy a bit of a race. First to the top of the hill wins”, said Jack with a sly grin on his.

  Jack was a fire dragon warrior with almost as bad as reputation in the academy as Steven, fierce, a tad bit egotistical, and the only student crazy enough in their entire academy to talk to Steven much to the latter’s annoyance.

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  Steven just granted in annoyance before ignite his feet in flames, propelling them further Jack, action an attempt to get away from him.

  “Oh, you’re so on”, said Jack before stretching his arms back and igniting them in flame to thrust himself forward to reach Steven.

  “There’s no way I’d let you win that easily”, Jack said with playful smile on his face causing Steven to simply roll his eyes in annoyance.

  Jack and Steven were now ahead of the other students, nearing the hill, but as they were about to reach it, they heard a loud roar from above their heads, they a torrent of flames fell down from the engulfing the entire forest in flames, stopping both Steven and Jack their tracks.

  “Where on earth did these flames come from? Wait did you actually engulf the entire forest in flames because you knew I would win”, said Jack.

  Steven upon hearing what Jack said felt his left eye twitch in annoyance before smacking him hand on his forehead, wondering whether or not Jack was dropped on the head as baby.

  “Well if you think a little fire would be enough to stop, you’ve got another thing coming”, said Jacks right before jumping in to the flames.

  Steven just stared at the spot Jack leaped in to the fire from before counting internally ‘One, two...’

  Jack then leaps out of the flames yelling out in pain, his body cooked with smoke escaping off from it. Steven just let out a sigh and rolled his eyes in annoyance. While it is true that fire could burn fire dragon warriors, they weren’t complete impervious to it, though their body couldn’t burn they could still feel pain from immense the immense heat that radiated off the flames, making Jack’s decision to jump head first in to a raging flame beyond idiotic.

  Steven, having had enough of watching Jack roll around in floor in an attempt to relieve his body from the immense pain brought out by the immense heat of the flame along with is plain stupidity shifted his gaze to the other students, seeing that they were as confused as to where the flames came from. A few of were bright enough to try using their powers to calm the flames and not do something as idiotic and reckless as jumping straight in to it but their attempts only seemed to fuel the raging flames, causing them grow in fury and intensity.

  The flames had surrounded them, trapping within the forest with seeming no way. The students then began question what was going and where the flames originated from. The answer to their question was then given to them by deafen roar of dragon above their head, looking down past the smoke of the raging flames down at them.

  Steven then raised his head up along with the other students, locking their gazes at the fierce and fiery pair of rage dragon eyes looking down at seated on his dragon above the blazing forest. Fernrino, their training instructor, looked down at them with a smile on his face that sent shivers down their spine while fuelling the flames down below with his power.

  Panic then slowly began to set in the hearts of the students as they wondered just what on earth their teacher was thinking engulfing the entire forest in flames with them in it. Even the prideful and idiotic Jack began to worry and dread their unfortunate situation.

  “It’s hopeless, we are all going to fry here”, Jack cowardly muttered causing Steven to simply roll his eyes in annoyance before turning his attention to the flames. Watching the flames raging on, his eyes filled their reddish golden yellow light of the flames, he was suddenly taken back to a moment in his past, a moment he wished above all else he could forget and undo.

  “STEVEN!!!!”, their father yelled out before smacking his cheeks with a flaming palm.

  Steven, feeling the sting of his father’s strike on his cheeks, looked up to him, hands clasping the spot he struck. Seeing the rage, fury, and disappointment in his eyes before he heard the sounds of someone sobbing from behind him. He then slowly turned around and saw with a look of both dread, hurt, and sadness, none other than tear filled eyes of his beloved sister staring back at him with a look of both sadness and fear as their mother protected her from the raging flames that surrounded them in a massive ball of water, flames he created in an outburst of rage and frustration, flames that had complete consumed the entire house.

  Steven then slowed turned back to his father, his gaze bowed down, unable to meet his due to the immense shame and guilt weighing on his heart.

  “Da..d...”, he trembling voice tried to speak, but his lips grew heavy and he unable to complete the words.

  James just looked down at his son, the rage having vanished in his eyes leaving behind only disappointment, before raising up his hand and summoned all the flames that engulfed the house on to his open palm before snuffing them all out in a clamped fist.

  “Da...”Steven tried to speak once more was stopped by a simple gesture from his father before he left to go check on Susan and their mother.

  After that, Steven found himself spending the night alone his partially chard room with tears streaming down his eyes.

  “Steven”, a soft gentle voice called out followed by a knock on door.

  Steven, knowing who it was that laid on the other side of the gave response, having neither the words nor the strength to face her.

  “Steven, please open the door ”, he heard her sods from the other side of the door but still he remain silent and gave no response.

  “Susan”, another voice, a bit more mature but just as gentle as the first could be heard.

  “What’s wrong?” the mature voice asked.

  “It’s Steven, he doesn’t want to open. I’m worried about mom”, said the other voice while sobbing.

  “I know you are but Steven will be alright, he just needs sometime to himself. Come on, why don’t you spend the night in I and daddy’s room”, said more mature voice.

  “Okay”, the voice spoke while snuffling, low and filled with hurt and sadness.

  Then the sounds of foots could be heard as the two left followed by a deafen silence with the only thing breaking was the sounds of Steven’s continuous sobs.

  As his eyes remained look on to raging inferno before him, Steven was taken even further back in to his past to a time when he wasn’t filled with so much anger and bitterness, at time when he was timid, shy, and fearful.

  “Hey kids, guess who’s home”, James greeted as he and Marina opened the door.

  “Daddy”, an excited Susan leaped out encased her father in warm embrace.

  “I missed you two my little Susie”, said James jokingly as he kissed Susan’s cheeks.

  “I missed you too dad”, Susan spoke in the cutest and most adorable voice ever earning an even tighter hug from her father.

  “Mom, dad”, a weak voice was heard from a corn in the.

  They then shifted their gazes to shy little Steven slowly stepping out of the house to greet his parents.

  Marina was the first to go to her son, embracing him in a warm embrace similar to the one Susan and their father shared.

  “How’s might little fire ember”, said Marina while embracing her son tightly in her arms.

  “I’m fine mom”, said Steven, his cheeks turning slight red out of embarrassment upon hearing his mom call him her little fire ember.

  “Come on, let’s get inside”, said James while carrying Susan on his shoulders.

  The family then went in to their home. James and Marina proceeded them to tell their two children how there day as Golden Dragon General went. Telling they found a group of dark dragon warriors in a small village, terrorizing the people there and how they along with the rest of the Golden Dragon Guard managed to drive them with both of the listen in awe at how amazing their parents.

  “One of them tried run away on his dragon but was brought down by a single shot of my arrow”, James finished the as aimed his bow without an arrow and let go to demonstrate to the two kids how he managed to take down the dark dragon warrior that tried to escape.

  “Wow, you’re really amazing dad”, said Susan with bright smile on her face, as she thought about just how incredible her father was to able to take down dark dragon warrior with a single shot.

  “What can I say little Susie, your father is pretty amazing”, James before lifting his lifting his little girl up, as high as he could causing her to laugh with glee.

  “Yeah, you and mom were pretty amazing. Maybe one when I’m big I can join the Golden Dragon Guard and help you two out on your missions”, Steven spoke timidly.

  James and Marina, upon hearing what their just said shared a glance before James placed Susan gently back down to the ground.

  “Uhm, Steven being a Golden Dragon Guard is not all its crack up to be”, James spoke in soft but serious tone.

  “Yes my boy, it’s not easy to go up against the likes of those horrible dark dragon warriors. Besides they are many other thing you besides a Golden Dragon Guard, like a blacksmith or flame teller”, said Marina.

  Steven upon hearing what his parents bowed his down, feeling immensely sad that his parents didn’t think he was good enough to be a Golden Dragon Guard.

  James and Marina, seeing the sad look on their son’s face simply let out a sigh, knowing their words, harsh as they may be, were for his own go as they understood just how brutal it was to be a Golden Dragon Guard and having to face those monsters each and every day. That wasn’t the life they wanted for their children.

  “I almost forgot”, James’ eyes lit up knowing just how to put a smile on his son’s face.

  “In the village were me and more saved from the dark dragon warriors. There was a toy store so we decided to get you two something”, said James as he brought out two toys, a stuff animal reason what looked like long serpent like fish with blue scales and fins for Susan, and for Steven a wooden figuring of an archer on a horse.

  “Wow”, the two kids eyes lit up upon seeing the gift their parents got them.

  Susan squeezed her little stuffed animal her mother in a tight hug.

  “You like it, you know the really sea serpents are massive gigantic and magnificent creatures known for their tendency to sink ships” said Marina.

  “Really, have you ever seen one mommy”, asked Susan.

  “Seen one, she is one of the people in entire world crazy enough to ride one. Nearly got both me and her killed doing”, said James, recalling those not so fun memories of the time the woman he married on top of a massive sea serpent, thrashing about in sea in attempt to get her off her and how he almost died getting her off it.

  “Really mom, did you really ride a sea serpent?” asked Susan with eyes lit up with awe and amazement.

  “Well, it wasn’t exactly my greatest moment”, said Marina while scratching the side of her in embarrassment, recalling the reckless decision she ended up immediately regretting all those years ago when she tried riding one of the greatest monsters within the deep blue sea.

  “You can say that again”, James with a scuff teased his wife earning him a jab by his side.

  James then shifted his attention to his son, watching him play with the wooden figurine he got him.

  “You know I used to have a lot of wooden figurines growing up, in fact my favourite one looked just like that one”, said James.

  “Really”, Steven spoke up, his eyes lighting up as they met his father’s gaze. The figurine on his hand then immediate became engulfed in flames.

  Steven upon seeing the flames on his toy tried to put it but his attempts only lead to flames growing more in intensity.

  Marina then, acting quickly, used her water powers to quench the flames on the figurine before they could grow even more and spread to the house.

  “I’m sorry”, Steven spoke with tears beginning to stream down.

  James, seeing the tears on his son’s face, let out sigh and then went to console him.

  “Hush now little Steven. It’s not your fault”, said James as he wiped away his tears.

  “But I burnt it”, said Steven, holding the burnt and shard remains of the figurine.

  “You’re a young fire dragon warrior, it’s only natural. Do you know how many toys I burnt through doing my childhood”, said James with a loving smile before ruffling up his son’s hair.

  “You’ll learn how to control your flames with time and as for the toy, the next I and your mother stop by that village, I’ll make sure to visit that toy store and get you another”, said James.

  Steven upon hearing what his father said couldn’t embrace him in a warm hug.

  “I love *snuff* love you *snuff* dad”, said Steven as he embraced his father.

  James just upon hearing what his son said before saying, “I love you too son”.