The cave smelled like smoke, dirt, and a faint trace of burnt rock. Icaris sat a little away from Brass and Whisper, watching them toss fire back and forth like it was some kind of competition.
Brass blasted a wild jet of flame that rattled the cave walls and kicked up dust. "Hey, Icaris! That's all you got? Gonna light a fire or just sit there looking pretty?"
Icaris flicked a tiny flame onto the tip of his claw. It wasn't loud or flashy like Brass's, and it wasn't sharp or precise like Whisper's. It wobbled, twisting at the edges like smoke caught in a breeze — subtle, but definitely there.
Whisper, lying on her side, gave him a pointed look. "Come on, you're hiding something."
Icaris smirked and flexed his claws. "Maybe. Maybe I'm just holding out."
Brass snorted and flicked his tail impatiently. "Stop being mysterious. Show us what real fire looks like."
Icaris's flame pulsed again, and the air around it bent just a little, like a heat haze. It wasn't a big flashy show — no blazing inferno or precise slash — but it made the cave feel heavier, like the flame wasn't just burning but pressing against reality itself.
Brass's eyes narrowed. "What the hell was that?"
Icaris shrugged and let the flame flicker lower. "Relax. It's just fire."
Whisper sat up and fixed him with a sharp gaze. "That's not normal."
Icaris's smirk dropped for a moment. He knew exactly what it was — the god blood inside him, the part no one else knew about. The Moth's blood weaving through his veins, twisting his flames with a touch of something older, something dangerous.
He kept that secret close. Not because he was afraid, but because it was a weapon, and weapons were best kept hidden until the right moment.
Brass rolled his eyes and shot a jet of fire at a rock, scorching a dark patch. "Power's power. Doesn't matter if it bends reality or not. If it can burn, it counts."
Icaris flicked a glance at Brass. "Sure. If you want to keep your fire loud and stupid."
Brass snarled but said nothing.
Whisper yawned and stretched before giving a small smile. "Maybe you'll surprise us yet, slowpoke."
Icaris flexed his claws, feeling the pulse beneath his scales. The god blood was waking up slowly, patient but relentless. It whispered promises and threats all at once.
Outside the cave, the forest stretched wide and wild, alive with shadows and secrets.
Icaris stood, muscles coiling. The fire inside him was no longer just a flicker. It was a spark ready to flare into something bigger.
He smiled to himself. It was about time.