The Pendragons were a wealthy family. So wealthy that they were practically nobles. Their mansion sat just outside of a town called Tamworth.
Tamworth was an old mining town that use to mine all kinds of jewls from the cave nearby. In fact, the Pendragons were the first to discover the cave. But it has long dried up.
Sun shown through the windows of the mansion, a boy with blonde hair groaned and rolled over to face away from it. There was a knock on the door before he could fall asleep again. "Young Master?" An lady's voice said on the other side of the door. "I-It's time to get up."
Kage sat up with a growl and glared at the door. As if the maid could feel his hatred, she squeaked and ran off.
"You scared her again." A tiny voice said next to him. There, sat on his bedside table, was a small mouse. "And you wonder why the servants avoid you."
Kage rolled his eyes. "I haven't done anything to them. They have no backbone." He stood up with a huff and walked over to his wardrobe to get dressed.
"Are we gonna visit your friends today?" The mouse asked as she ran to the foot of the bed.
"We'll see."
After getting dressed, Kage scooped up the mouse and put her in his sweater pocket.
~~~
After skipping breakfast to avoid his family, Kage made his way through the woods towards where the cave was. He didn't have to worry about being seen. The cave wasn't used anymore....well, not be people anyway.
When he reached the cave, he walked in without hesitation and kept going until he was engulfed in darkness.
Then, all around him, little golden lights lit up the cave. On the ceiling, the walls and the floor of the cave were these small glowing yellow lizards.
Fireworms.
They're bodies were fiery hot so Kage couldn't touch them, but that doesn't stop him from coming to talk to them. Matilda (the mouse) climbed up Kage's hoody to sit on his shoulder. "There's more of them."
"They're breeding more and more." Kage muttered as he tried to count them all.
"They're won't be any room left in the cave at this rate."
"That's ok. This isn't a home it's a nest. They pick a nest to breed and then when they're ready, they'll all migrate back to where to they came from. Much like fish swimming upstream to lay eggs and then returning to more open waters."
Night time came quickly as they hung out with the Fireworms. Kage walked back down the dirt trail towards the mansion when someone came out of the bushes. "Kage! There you are!" Yelled his furious father. The Butler was with him. "We've been looking everywhere for you, boy! How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of that cave! It's dangerous in there!"
Kage knew better than to believe his father. He didn't really care about him, he just wanted to marry him off so he could get more money.
That was the family business now. Marry a wealthy person or a noble. Have them die from an "accident." Then inherit that families fortune. More money and power for the Pendragons.
Kage hated it. He hated that house, he hated that family and he hated to pretend that he cared about what happened to this wretched place. Matilda squeaked as she was suddenly grabbed by the older man.
"You're still hanging out with these destusting things?" Mr. Pendragon tossed the mouse to the Butler with a sneer. "Get rid of it. It's filthy."
"No! Let go of her! Giver her back!" Kage tried to chase after the Butler but his father held a firm grip of his arm. "MATILDA!"
"You named it?! Honestly boy, you're a Pendragon! You need to stop hanging with these filthy things and start acting more like a noble."
"We are NOT nobles and they are NOT things! They're my friends!"
"How many times do I have to tell you to grow up?! You have a job to do, as the heir of this family, to keep our business going!"
"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I THINK OF THIS FAMILY?! OF THIS BUSINESS?!" Kage snapped. He then turned towards the direction of the cave, lift his free hand to his mouth and let out a loud whistle.
The forest lit up and flames quickly spread towards them. The Fireworms all ran to Kage as he called to them. Fire spread where ever the lizards ran, their glowing bodies burning everything they touched.
"Destroy everything! Destroy it all! LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND!" Kage yelled to them in rage. He felt his father let go of him and quickly run back towards the mansion.
But that won't save him.
~~~
Everything was set ablaze. Screams could be heard all around him as he walked through the town. Fireworms were running all over the place. Burning everything to the ground. Leaving nothing alive.
Kage had made sure that his family and mansion were the first to go before they moved on to the town. He honestly didn't care if the villagers survived or not. He just wanted everything in his gone.
A larger Fireworm ran up to him and Kage calmly looked down at the queen. "My friend, it is time for us to migrate back home." She said. Kage sighed. He knelt down to face the queen and gave her a small smile. "Yes, I know. Thank you for freeing me from this place."
"Where will you be going now?" The queen asked. Kage thought about it, but didn't have an answer. "If I may, there is a place to the west that could be a good place for you to stay. It is a good cave. Large. It was a good nesting ground for us once. But I do not know what may have claimed it now."
"Thank you. I will check it out." Kage bowed slightly in thanks. The queen nodded then spread her wings. With a gust of wind, her and the many Fireworms were airborn. They don't really fly, but they do glide on the winds during migration.
Kage stood in the center of the town. Fire all around him as golden lights flew through the night sky along with the smoke and ashes they left behind.
Kage turned and dissappeared into the dark forest. Leaving his childhood to burn.
~~~
Kage slowly sat up in Gajeel's bed. Wincing as he disturbs the bandaged burns on his skin. He groaned in pain and Lily immediately shot up from where he was sleeping. "Kage! Are you alright? You shouldn't be getting up yet!"
"Lily?" Kage question as he looked down at the exceed. He then looked around the room. "Where am I?"
"You're in mine and Gajeel's apartment." Lily said as he moved to sit in Kage's lap. Being careful not to touch a burn mark he knew was on Kage's right thigh. "You really scared us, you know. We didn't know if you were even alive."
Lily leaned forward and hugged the blonde's middle. Kage placed his unbandaged hand on the cat's head and ran his fingers through the black fur. "How did you even know I was hurt?" He asked.
"One of your birds came to get us. He lead us right to you."
"They'll come to check on me later, I'm sure. I'll thank them then."
Lily couldn't help but notice that Kage was totally calm about all of this. Despite that he had seen Kage cry for the first time last night. In fact, now that he thought about it, Kage is hardly ever emotional. He's only ever smiled when he was messing with someone and even then it's usually a sadistic smirk. The most emotion he's shown is when he was annoyed.
Lily decided he didn't like how unhappy Kage usually seemed.
