The young man looked around him sighing.
"Probably everyone in the FireStrike unit is here watching us." He turned to Salina and smiled at her. "You look beautiful today. You have amazing taste."
He felt Salina's warm smile. "After that successful second mission, they started to take you seriously, you did manage to create quite a stir with the recruits."
He nodded and turned his head looking at his unit. He watched as the general walked in front of the unit. He saluted. "Salina… That man is also a monster, like to old guy. I can feel heat coming off him."
"To be a leader of an entire unit you need to be a monster for people. You need to be strong, and the stronger you are the more people will follow you."
The young man nodded in thought. "A leader needs strength not only to show they have the ability to lead but be able to do what needs to be done."
"Firewarriors, we're here to celebrate when pups become adults. From lowly recruits to strong Firewarriors."
"Yeah! Clap… Clap… Clap…"
He turned as he heard the cheering from the entire unit. He then looked back at the general who had their hands up.
"This unit here faced two impossible tasks, and the reports surprised us all here in the FireStrike unit. You fought against countless enemies, as well as a large ambush."
He smiled as the general looked in his direction. "If you haven't heard the rumors. Then I'll tell you all now."
He watched as the general unfolded a parchment and held it in front of him. "This is going to be interesting…" He looked at Salina and smiled. "Thank you. If you weren't with me, I wouldn't of been able to get this far."
He felt Salina squeeze his hand and looked down at it smiling. "We need each other…"
"First. They beat the previous record of setting a defensive perimeter in less than a minute."
He heard the claps and cheers from the other Firewarriors standing around the unit.
"Second, they identified the ruin and planned accordingly."
He watched as the general looked up and shrugged their shoulders. "Nothing exciting yet… But here is when things get hot."
The young man could feel his face starting to heat up and looked at his feet controlling his breathing and racing heartbeat.
"Hehe… The squad leader is bashful…" He looked at Salina with an annoyed face.
"The unit was able to identify the traps in the ruins and also identified the formations of an ambush, then planned a very successful counterattack."
Claps and cheers filled the ears of the young man. He turned and looked at his unit smiling, and he smiled at them in return.
"They climbed an ice wall and removed the bandit sharpshooters, while their defensive unit mowed down the approaching enemy coming from behind them. That is true Firewarrior material there!"
The ground of the unit erupted in cheers around them. He couldn't hear anything except for the cheers of those around him. He turned to Salina and felt her warm breath on his neck and ear. "I think the ice wall climbing is what put you in the spotlight."
He nodded. "I think you're right… It was also fun as well. I'm glad that the fire whip was able to throw the team up the wall…"
"Quiet! I haven't finished…"
The young man smiled as the grounds quieted down. "Finally, I can hear my own thoughts again."
"Not only did they wipe out the sharpshooters and the advancing army coming from their rear during a snowstorm. They also moved position to the east of the ruins dug a tunnel into the ruins and wiped all the bandits waiting for them in the ruins themselves!"
The ground erupted into cheers and whistles. "Fire eater! Fire eater! Fire eater!"
He shook his head slightly at the cheers from the Firewarriors and felt Salina's hand on his shoulder.
The young man watched as the general raised their hands to the Firewarriors. "Quiet!"
"Today… We're celebrating two things… This unit here is no longer just recruits. They're now Firewarriors… Not only that. They're going to become an elite unit. This unit shall be known as the Fire Eater unit!"
He looked at Salina as cheers filled the air. "How do they look?"
"They look proud… But those women in the unit keep looking at your ass while biting their lips… Humph… Playboy…"
He wickedly smiled at Salina. "Pity I don't look at theirs… Since there is only one ass I want to look at…"
"Whose ass is it?"
"The second thing we're here to celebrate is their squad leader has earned the right for a name and tattoo!"
The young man looked at the general with wide eyes. "A name… Tattoo." He felt his heart racing in his throat and felt tears form behind his eyes. He pinched his eyes to wipe the tears away and looked at Salina with a large smile. "A name…"
"Hey… I'm not talking to you until you tell me whose ass you look at… I'm going to find them and burn it with fire."
He smirked at Salina. "That will be hard for you, since it's yours."
"Fire Eater unit… You're dismissed!"
He saluted and was pushed to the ground as the unit jumped on him giving him hugs, and kisses. He kept trying to stand up, but the unit kept him on the ground. He sighed and smiled.
"Cough… cough…"
The pile of soldiers on him stood up quietly and he sat up staring at the old man looking at him. He stood up and saluted.
"Thank you for your advice. It has helped me greatly…"
"No time for that Firewarrior. Come with me Fire eater. I'm to give you your name and tattoo."
He walked to the old man and followed him away from the grounds towards the building that was falling apart. He stopped as the old man stopped and turned while tapping the ground. He turned and looked at the unit following them quietly.
"Tell them to go and celebrate. You can see them all again in a few days."
He nodded and walked back to the unit. "You all need to go celebrate. This tattoo will take time. Go relax and have fun. I'll join you all as soon as it's done."
"Fire eater, show me your tattoo when you're finished. I'll help you look after it…"
He looked at the female Firewarrior in his unit and felt his face heat up. "Hey… Don't show her. Show me instead…"
He put his hands up and took a step back. "I'll show you all when its done. So, go eat and have some fun…"
He turned and walked away from the unit waving his hand at them.
"Before we get to the building, you need to know that the energy of the building is going to test your resolve. If you can approach it and open its door, then you'll get the tattoo and name… If your resolve is not strong enough… then I'll be cleaning a pile of ash…"
He looked at the old man in confusion. "Why does everything lead to death if I fail?"
"Its all about choices and payment. This is your choice, stay with your unit and stay nameless and walk away from this… Or make a name for yourself that all of Athlos will come to know and your enemies will come to dread."
"Tap… Tap."
"Fire Eater… Everything is about choices, and because of those choices we need to deal with the results. When you make a choice, be aware of the results of that choice."
He looked at the building and then at the old man. "So, Fire Eater… What choice are you going to make?"
He looked at Salina and smiled taking a step towards the building. "I'm getting my name and tattoo… That's my choice and it's one I want to make."
"Good… Good… I'll be waiting here while you go open the door for me. Show your resolve and strength to enter."
As he took steps closer to the ruined building, he felt the air start to push him back. He grunted and kept walking forward using his hands to push against the air.
"Revolve your energy… Sometimes you're a bit thickheaded."
He turned his head and looked at Salina with an annoyed face. "It's not like you have to do this…"
He sighed and started to revolve the energy inside of him. His eyes opened wide as the air pushing against him started to lesson. He smiled.
"Thanks Salina… I forgot about that…"
"Hahahaha." He laughed as he saw Salina cross her arms with an annoyed face. He turned to look at the building again and quickened his pace towards the ruined building.
As he got closer to the building, he could feel waves of hot air blowing against him. He clenched his jaw and kept walking. "I'm going inside… You're not going to stop me from getting inside."
He looked down and stared at his feet as he was being pushed back. "I can do it…" He stopped and looked at the door and cursed. "If you're going to play dirty, so can I."
He closed his eyes and smiled. "It's time to feed."
He looked at the building and felt the air that was pushing against him start to flow into his body through the open mouth over his heart.
"Hahahaha. No energy is going to stop me from reaching my goal…"
He started walking again towards the door with a smile on his face and any pressure that was pushing against him was being eaten. He put his hand on the door and pushed it open. "Enough feeding…" The mouth slowly closed and turned back into a scar.
"Are you going to walk in, or are you just going to stare at the door?"
He turned and saw the old monster standing behind him and watched as he walked into the building. He followed him into the building. "Close the door behind you."
The young man nodded and closed it behind him. He looked around at waved the smoke away from his face. He looked at the books all over the room and giant holes and cracks in the walls. "The books?"
"They record the unit's history, as well as different strategies and formations. Very useful… But you need to learn how to read and write before you're able to touch them… Come here. Let me look at you."
He nodded and walked towards the old Firewarrior and stood in front of him.
"Hmmm. Are you going to keep standing? I'm old sit…"
He sat and looked at him and watched as he removed his shirt revealing a large tattoo of a black dragon that covered his body. The young man's mouth fell open as he stared at the scars that covered him.
"During the pirate wars I was known as the black dragon. I covered countless battle grounds and ships in black fire. Many were killed by myself, and I was given awards, promotions and medals from the Supreme himself, but do you know what the most important thing I was ever given?"
The young man shook his head. "No sir… What was it?"
"It was a name… Soon you'll have a tattoo, and the reputation that will follow, but your name is something special that once given can never be taken from you."
He stared at the black dragon tattoo as the old man stood up and walked around him.
"It is an honor that I've been given to give you your name…" He watched the old man beat his chest. "I've taken many lives, but with this name it is me giving life… You need to kneel and lower your head."
The young man got off the stool and knelt on the ground and felt the old warrior's hand on his head. "Strong, confident, warrior… with doubt… Hmmm."
He kept his eyes on the ground and listened to his heartbeat.
"Being a warrior of old, I shall give you a name in the old tongue. From this moment forwards you shall be known as Stani Nir… Stannir. It's fire eater in the old tongue, and you shall be known as fire eater Stannir."
He smiled. "Salina… I have a name now… Do you like it?"
"I like it Stannir… It matches you well."
"Stannir, you're now accepted amongst the Firewarriors here. Now it's time for your tattoo. Get on the table and take your shirt off. We're going to make the name of fire eater be known all over Athlos for many years after your death…"