The Insignia

Soot of Life

(Soot's POV) (Gender:Male) 

     Drip. Drip. Drip. Water leaked from the ceiling, hitting the floor that was tinted green with mold. Bones of dead animals lay on heaps on the soggy cave floor, rusted, metal bars enclosed the area, leaving me trapped inside. 

    Chains clanged against the rusted bars of my prison, right then I knew they were coming. I slithered into a corner, hopeful to not be chosen. Voices ringed down the dark hallway, they were getting closer. They were getting closer by the minute. Their boots clunked in puddles of blood and sewer water.

I knew that if they chose me, I would not come back alive, no one here ever returned after they were chosen. Some say that they take you apart, study you, torture you, and then rip your soul from your body. No one ever comes back. The footsteps continued, stopping at my cell, I heard the turn of a key and then the creaking of hell opening.

There stood a man, his eyes as cold as pluto, hair as white as snow. I studied him, watching his movements as he leaned down and fastened a chain around my neck, not moving or making any sudden reactions, I watched. He tugged me to my feet and I followed him as he walked out the door. I held my breath as I passed through, not knowing what was in store for me, what was my fate, what was my destiny?

I glanced around at the relieved faces of other dragons, sitting in their cells, I felt a painful longing deep in my stomach, why could it have been someone other than me? No, I said to myself, that would be selfish. The squeaking of the chains pull could be heard throughout the whole dungeon, for it was the only sound. There were no pleading whispers, for hope is gone, there are no silent cries, because why waste tears on something inevitable, no painful screams, because we have already been killed inside. Everything was silent, so silent, that the lurk of death could be heard. It was hanging over my head, waiting for the opportunity to snap my neck and remove me from this realm.

In this kill or be killed world, nothing is left because we all went extinct, after all in a war nobody wins, it's just the people who lose the least. The people leading me to my doom now, was my enemy. I had done nothing to him, yet he would be the one to drive the dagger into my heart and let the looming peril consume me.

I saw something ahead, I didn't know if I could actually envision it. It was so fake, yet so real to my eyes. I wasn't sure, I hadn't seen it ever before. No, what was that substance. It was bright, stinging my eyes. I closed my eyes and stepped into it, realizing what it was. This was light! I had never seen light before, I had been raised in captivity. I had lived in hell my whole life, there was no light in a vast world of only darkness. Never before had I seen the flicker of a candle, never seen the flame of dying wood, never before seen the Sun. Of course, I had heard stories of a wonderful land, where you could see, where everything the light touched was green, fertile and full of bountiful happiness. The stories were false for light had touched humans, it was still beautiful, even though corrupted lies and kingdoms followed in its footsteps. The white light, warmed my insides, washing away the cold from my brittle bones. Light represented freedom, and when there's freedom the greed of tyranny follows...

I trudged after the man, my head bobbing up and down, in an effort to move faster, sunlight shone down on my ebony scales as I walked. I could hear the cheers of excited humans up ahead. What were they cheering about? Where was I going? In front of me stood a gate, wicked, silver spikes lined it. The man nodded at two men spinning a wheel. The gate slowly lifted open...

            An arena stood before me, people lined the stands cheering, their fists raised in the air, their words echoing through the dome. I was pulled forward into the sandy pit, I stood still as the man snapped the chain from my neck and scurried out of the arena. A cold wave of terror passed through realizing something, this was my death, this was going to be the way I died.

Lifting myself from my thoughts I saw another dragon walk into the dome, his scales a golden color, eyes a bright green, the color of emeralds. His teeth were as white as snow, he had an armor of shiny scales, something I longed for, Horns lined his head, while on mine, a curly black mane lay. His chain was snapped off, and the human began to run, but he had already pounced landing on the humans back, digging his now crimson teeth into the human's scrawny throat, it shrieked in terror and went silent. Screams of horror rocketed from the crowd, I gasped, no one had ever been stupid enough to kill one of the measly creatures.

His attention focused on me, his pupils slitted so thin, blood dripped from his sharp jawline, drip, drip, drip.

I shook my head, no, I could not think of that prison. I sunk down into an attack position, ready to defend myself if he tried to attack me. He lowered himself to, beginning to circle around me, I kept my eyes trained on his, awaiting for any emotion in them to give his attacks away. None. Absolutely none.  

      Suddenly he lunged, catching me off guard, but I managed to dodge, leaving me unbalanced. He let out a grunt of frustration as he landed into a perfect attack stance. This monster sure was an experienced fighter, for his balance was perfect, his attacks smooth and flawless. I managed to get back on my feet without stumbling, but he was already in the air again. He slammed his large, golden body into mine, sending me tumbling over in the sandy pit. Growling, he swung a massive forepaw at me, hitting me hard in the face. I blinked in pain, as blood spilled from my forehead.

I got to my feet, he was winning. I knew that. His tail was swiping furiously around, sharp spikes clung to it. I flinched as he sent his sharp tail at me, it missed. He was winning. Abruptly he barreled into me, and pinned me to the ground, his teeth spitting crimson, blood down at me. Drip. He leaned down, clasping my throat in his jaws. He was going to kill me. I panicked for a second and then realized, this is what I wanted. I wanted to see light, not darkness. I closed my eyes, falling limp in his jaws, they tightened around my exposed neck. Drip. Drip. Drip. Rip. Rip. Rip.... No, there was no light when you were dead, for I was going to hell... I flung myself upward at him, light flooding into my senses. I wanted light. I wanted freedom. I wanted light. I wanted... I..... ...

A strange heat poured through my limbs, it encircled me in waves of fiery pain. I felt my flesh begin to rot in the fire of mental flames. I screeched, my mind was burning. Everything was on fire around me. I closed my eyes, opening them again. The fire was gone, but I could feel their dying embers in my heart. I wasn't going to die. I wasn't...

I opened my mouth and roared, the fire inside of me lighting itself and flowing from my jaws. I was one with the fire. I was breathing the fire of my soul. I was breathing fire... The orange flames drowned the golden dragon, his eyes widened in a forever terror, mouth open in an ear-piercing screech of horror. I closed my eyes and let the light ad pain from inside of me go.

Falling to the ground, I opened my eyes, the last thing I saw before I fell into the abyss of darkness, were the ashes of the dead dragon, covered in a trail of burning soot. Soot, I thought before the darkness drowning. I am Soot. I am the soot of fire. I am the soot of life.....  

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Hope you enjoyed. Okay...um.. so I haven't been getting many views or likes...so...I have decided that I will post again when there are at least three likes and one comment(That isn't me). Okay. If I don't get to that goal by next week then, I will just post...okay... um smiley faces and rainbows to all.. :) 

-Ella Winters