Steven took in a deep breath as he faced his parents who seated before him, though tired and drained, having returned from their latest mission, they looked at their son with eager eyes, wondering what he wanted to show them. Steven, feeling his pounding against his chest, turned to face Susan who flashed him a confident and proud smile. Steven, seeing the on Susan’s, felt his heart calm down. He then released his breath and steeled himself, recalling all the work and effort he had put in to mastering his flames, an how all that work and effort he put in was he could show them.

  Feeling the breath leave through his nostril, he felt his body began to heat up. He then took another breath and began to channelling and controlling flow of heat through his body and on to his hands. Two fire balls then appeared on his the palm of his.

  “Wow, very impressive Steven. You’ve finally got the hang of you powers”, James said with a tired but proud smile on his face, noticing the control Steve had over flames resting on the palm on his has, pouring in enough of his power to keep them lit but so much that it would make that rage and spiral out of control.

  Marina was just as impressed by Steven as James, having been the one that wash of most of the smoke, ash, and sot that would cover his entire body whenever he lost control of his powers which often resulted with fiery explosion and an extremely dirty Steven.

  “I’m not done”, Steven said before pouring more power in to the two fire balls, causing them both grow, burning brightly with blazing flames that rising and rising, startling and taking both Marina and James aback.

  “Steven...” Marina as she attempted to stop him before the flames completely consumed ad engulfed the entire house only to be stopped by James placing a hand on her shoulder as he watched, with more of a shocked than worried looked, Steven’s eyes slowly morph in to blazing red dragon eyes.

  The flames began spiral and come together in to a single blazing ball flames. Steven then gathered his palms around the flaming ball. It then slowly began to shrink until it was eventually small enough to be closed up and put out by his two palms. Steven then took in a breath and lt go with his eyes reverting back to normal.

  James with bright and smile then said to his boy, “That was incredible Steven. When did you learn to control your flames like that”.

  Steven upon hearing what his father said shyly robbed the side of his elbow and said, I’ve been practicing while you’ve been away”.

  “Well they’ve certainly paid off”, said Marina with a proud look on her face.

  “I’ve been practicing too. Who did you think has been putting out all his flames and prevented his pants from burning off”, said Susan.

  “That only happened ONCE!!!!!” Steven yelled, his cheeks flashed red with embarrassment causing Marina and James to smile at both of their children.

  “Okay then, good work Susan and thank you for helping your brother keep his pants on”, said Marina with a slight giggle.

  “IT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE!!!!!” Steven yelled once more out of embarrassment earning a hardy chuckle and giggle from his father, mother, and Susan.

  Steven, seeing how they were all busy laughing, could on grumble to himself while bowing his down low in embarrassment.

  James his grumbling son stopped chuckling and nodded his head with a smile on his face before going to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, “I’m proud of you son”

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  Steven upon hearing those words leave his father’s lips, raised his head with his eye sparkling twinkling as he looked up at his father and proud smile etched on his face. He then turned to see his mother and Susan who had stopped laughing and wore the very same look of pride on their faces as they looked back at him.

  Seeing the proud look on their faces, Steven thug on his heart followed were a warm and comforting feeling as though a gentle flame had engulf his heart and filled his body with it comforting warmth. He loved and cherished the feeling, and, looking at family, his father, mother, and sister, the people he loved most in the world, the source of the warmth he felt with his chest, just wished that they could stay together as one happy family.

  His eyes the trailed away from his father’s smile and on to the scar by the side of his neck and the to his mother who’s one was hidden away by the sleeves of her clothes. He then bowed his head back down, as his nightmares he began flashing before his eyes. Seeing his parents walking out the door and never coming back before every lit up in flames with only thing he could manage to hear past the raging flames was Susan’s cries.

  “Dad...”, Steven spoke, his voice heavy and laced with a bit of hesitation.

  “...Can I join the Golden Dragon Guard”.

  A deafen silence enveloped the entire house as Steven his sentence, taking both James and Marina aback, so much so that if a pin were to drop its echoes would be heard throughout the house. James looked down at his son, seeing the seriousness and determination in his eyes, convincing him that Steven’s words were much more than mere words uttered by a child who didn’t know any better. Looking him and seeing the slight shaking of his eyes as he tried to maintain contact with his. Looking at those eyes that sun brightly with determination, he glanced past the determined look in his son’s and saw something he was all too familiar with, feeling both he and Marina had had to endure each and every time they walked out of their and leave on another mission to subdue the ever growing threat that was the dark dragon warriors, fear.

  “No”, James spoke with stern and serious look on his face.

  “What? But i learned how to control my flames, I mastered my powers. I’ve gotten stronger”, said Steven.

  “No”, James repeated, his cold and even more stern than before.

  Susan upon hearing what their father said what say something, knowing just how much effort Steven had put in to practicing and train on how to control his powers but upon seeing the stern and serious look on her father’s face, an expression she had never seen from before, she froze up.

  Steve up hearing what his father said, bowed his head down low, as he thought about all the effort and work he had put in to mastering his powers and yet...

  “What do I have to do?” Steven asked with his head still bowed down, fletching his hands in to a tight fist.

  “How much work and effort do I need to put in”, Steven asked once more, his voice heavy and shaking, fighting stream of tear standing at the very edge of his eye lid.

  James then let out a breath before bending down to Steven height.

  “Steven, you’re just a child and you want to fight in a battle even grownups are scared to fight. You’re brave and strong, and I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll grow up to be an incredible man *sigh* but not one meant for the battlefield”, said James.

  Steven upon hearing was his father said tighten his fists as thought about all those days he had to watch both of them leave him and Susan alone in the house, off to go fight the dark dragon warriors along with the rest of the Golden Dragon Guard, and all the night had spent reliving that accursed night. Steven fist then began to tremble, his body heating up and the tears that stood at the very edge of his lid began to make its way down his cheeks, sizzling and boiling as they made contact with his heated skin.

  “So it’s only you and mom that are meant to fight those monsters”, Steven asked with his head still bowed, his voice trembling and shaking.

  “Steven I...”, James tried grabbing hold of Steven only for his entire body to burst with a flaming aura consuming him taking both James along with Marina and Susan aback.

  “It’s not fair. You and mom have to leave each and every single day to fight those monsters and come back scars and wounds”, said Steven as the flames surrounding him intensified.

  “Steven stop this, you flames are...”, said James was cut off mid sentence Steven saying, “Weak, too weak to join the Golden Dragon Guard, is that why you won’t let me join the guard. If that’s the case”.

  Steven flames then grew more intense burning so bright and so hot that they forced James take a few steps back.

  “I’ll have to show you that I’M STRONG ENOUGH TO BE A GOLDEN DRAGON GUARD!!!!!” Steven spoke as his flames erupted and consumed everything.