Guardians Under the Same Banner

Scylla was the youngest as well as the most mischievous of Marissa's children. It didn't take long for the other children to find out and start talking. Marissa had been born to a tribe of water dragons that were known as an immortal race. Reason being that the water kept them young. Some even grew to be 1000 years old before they passed away. Because her tribe is often long lived they often have enormous amounts of children. Mostly due to the fact that they could lay eggs in large quantities.

Now after saying this it should come as no surprise that my sister has around 100 children, 50 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren. In total she had 170 descendants. I had none to speak of. Kinda made me the single uncle that everybody likes.

I'll admit that it's an interesting experience. Especially considering that technically my sister and I are supposed to be mortal enemies and I should have died ages ago. Instead I'm waltzing around Vara's damn home base! I floated about the city. I began to notice a discrepancy in the people. He crustacean breed people of the people worked as smiths and leather workers. While the others were vendors for fruit and other commodities like clothes.

I would ask Marissa about it on my return to the castle. She was sitting in her throne room when I entered. She wore a different style of dress. An armored battle dress. It had a small skirt but everything was coated in scales, shells, or metal plating. It was obviously a way to intimidate those who sought to cause trouble in her court. I had to wait to ask my questions seeing as she had 6 people around her. They were dressed like nobles. Their jewelry was good and the weapons at their sides were combinations of steel and gold with silver leaf here and there.

" Your majesty! We cannot condone that outsider being so close to you so soon. What if he attempts to take the flame we have been hiding for so long!? This could cause disaster!" A chittering crustaceus man spoke. His mandibles moving in time with his speak like a mouth. His back was crusted with jewels and shields of varying kinds. he looked like a walking treasury honestly. Could probably sell that shell and live a good life for a couple generations.

" We are not saying you cannot choose who you trust your majesty but for him to be so close to you even after you killed Aed's previous champion spells trouble." A baritone voiced merman spoke. He was oceanic blue from the waist down and was barrel chested like a weight lifter. He had a solitary mohawk-like fin instead of hair with shark-like teeth.

Others spoke up but it was a cacophony of sound. I pulled my weapon from my back and thumped it on the floor. That got all their attention. Marissa looked at me with shock that quickly turned into relief. She sat back in her throne and her eyes said it all. ( Guess I'm handling this.) I thought as I approached. The six backed away quickly.

"I came to this city to be peaceful. Not to cause disharmony. The previous champion may have been killed by your queen but that is none of my business. That is between her and Aed and he hasn't told me much regarding that matter. This "Flame" on the other hand I would like to see." Before anyone could voice anything I put my hands up. "Not to take it. I already have control of six elements. And I am not a greedy fool. Just curious." Marissa's eyebrow rose. "Show him." The crab man once again chattered. "B,But your majesty!" I looked at him and he spoke a little quieter. "You have hidden it for so long.... Yet you'll let him take it... You will answer to the people for this." His eyes glowered at her as he crab walked away.

I glowered after him. A female voice sounded behind me. " I'll show him. It would seem that Cradacus is in an even fouler mood today than most." I turned to find Shanti floating there before me. ( Finally a face I recognize to some degree.) She smiled through her sharp teeth and with a nod from Marissa we left the hall. I was taken down a few corridors till everything suddenly narrowed. A five foot by five foot corridor that we had to swim through. It was slanted on a downhill slope. It was a round hallway made of metal and the water began to warm as we progressed downwards.

( This is no ordinary flame) I thought as we continued. (How is it still burning underwater? and how were they containing it?) Were thoughts that crossed my mind. My hands began to shake slightly as we ventured further. Soon we entered a room made of rusty iron and it became apparent why it had survived for so long. It was a fire shaped like a water dragon. The cage that held it was almost the size of half a football field and seemed to be lined in with solar panels in places. The fire was a mercurial silver color and flowed like water inside of a glass and metal cage. It roared and the heat in the room increased. Shanti quickly grabbed some form of apparatus and put it around her neck where her gills were. It was shaped like a neck band but had glowing blue orbs on it. "It's to help with temperature adjustments. It being this hot is bad for us water folk." She said a little sheepishly. "Ahhh..." I said in understanding.

I turned once more to see the monstrous flame before me. "What is this?" I said as I approached it. It turned it's head to stare at me. " I am not an it. I'm a who you prattling prick." It said in a horn sounding voice in my head. I recoiled in shock. "You're sentient! I apologize. I didn't expect that considering I've seen my fair share of flame. I have never come across one that had a thought process." I said as I examined him a bit. "What are you looking at peewee!" It spat at me. I turned to Shanti. "He's always like that." She said with her hands held up defensively. I shook my head. "Mind if I show him his place?" I said as my nerves were starting to wear a bit as the flame continued spitting insults at me.

"We wouldn't mind at all." A voice spoke out behind me. I spun to see Marissa floating there with an apparatus around her neck. The flame started spitting insults at her which aggravated us both. I nodded and floated up to the latch on top of the cage. I opened it and quickly swam inside closing the hatch behind me. The flame was at least 30 feet long and the 4 feet across. It spun and charged toward me. I simply stood their as it hit and rushed through me. My clothes and metal melted revealing my chest which was slightly warm now.

/ Host has acquired living fire. Living flame will hunt down anything and everything till it reaches it's master. After returning. The experiences of the things it has hunted will be shown from birth to death to the owner of the flame. Once ownerless it goes rampant and gains further sentience from it's victims. Often found to be aggressive and obstinately crude./

/ Flame Monarch level has increased. level has jumped to seven. Flames are compatible on variations that add up to 7/10. True mastery has begun. Ruling over fire is a fickle thing. Now do it./ Gluttony grunted at me.

I reached out and grabbed at the fire as it passed me. I actually felt my had grab something. It was like rope but a little more slippery. I focused and grabbed hold. I was pulled back with the force of a small car. I held on for dear life and slowly moved up it's body towards it's head. I eventually reached what should have been it's neck area after being buckled around a bit by the bloody thing.

I created a aqua rope and tried putting it like a bit in a horses mouth to force it into submission. Unfortunately the fire bit the rope into a heated and steamy bubble in the water. I held on and continued to think. I finally just got sick of it and tried to punch it. "Settle!" I yelled as I raised my hands. " Down!" I yelled as I brought them down in a brutish way on the things head. A thump sound echoed through the room as a strange smoke issued like foam out of the flames mouth. I slid off, slightly exhausted by the endeavor. I looked at the fire and felt a slight greed to take it for myself. It had a hell of alot of fight in it. But I remembered what I had said in the throne room.

I floated before the fire and placed a hand on it. "Alright you little stain... I want to hear you call her what you did before." I leaned close while holding one of the things flaming horns.

" You can kiss my @$$." It said. I sighed as a vein in my head bulged slightly. I continued holding the horn and snapped it off. The horn dispersed into flames that sizzles against the water before being absorbed by my red arm. The Living Fire roared in pain and Marissa covered her face slightly. I grabbed the other horn. "Would you like to say that again..." I hissed at it. It stayed silent. "Now... You'll apologize. We beings of fire have respect. Now you tarnished that. For that you owe her." I pointed at Marissa. "An Apology." I slowly floated the fire over and shook it a little. " Sorry.... " It said and Marissa seemed to let out a little sigh. "For what." I stated. It hissed as my grip on its horn grew stronger. "For being rude." It said. I let it go and it shot to the other side of the cage away from me. I floated to the latch and made my way out. After it was closed and locked I floated down to Marissa who was looking at me a little differently. " I had to live in a forest alone for a few years. Got to learn that the world isn't as nice as I thought it would be." She nodded a little.

I waved at the cage. " He's been pacified and if he gives you any more trouble just tell him I'll be back the next cycle." She smirked a little at that. "I don't think he will be moving for a while. But in the end he is what keeps this city running." Marissa said. I looked at her as we swam back. "I noticed the solar panels. Your handiwork?" She smiled more broadly. "Yes. We couldn't contain him in a battery or have him run a reactor because of his temper. So I had solar panels absorb his heat so our city could function and he gets the roam more open cage. All in all they are most suitable for the task." She said a little more cheery at the topic.

Once we reached the throne room the ministers were all still standing there. The crab included. He had a set of 12 guards standing behind him. They all looked like sea horses but had arms that could give a weight lifter a run for their money. Each held a trident of silver with a snowflake engraved on it. The crab man pointed at me. "Sieze Him! Under suspicion of bewitching the queen!" I put my upper arms behind my head and yawned.

" Cradacus... I believe you are a fool." I sighed out. The crab became hopping mad at my words. "I have been by the queens side for decades! It is obvious that you have charmed her in some way!" I looked at everyone there and began to slowly expand. My height grew gradually from 9feet to 20. My stature was almost touching the ceiling at the end of it all. The guards began throwing their tridents in surprised desperation to stop my actions. They harmlessly bounced off my body.

"Should I truly unravel the truth so we can see why he has angry these past few days?" I said as I smirked and he crab began to shake.