Fire Moth

The Garden of Cinders.

To the outside world, it was a name to be feared. No one knows their operatives, their methods, or who backs them up. The names were phantoms. No records were found, and all are accounted for under hundreds of falsified names and documents.

However, the only truly transparent one is that it is a house for the orphaned. They call it the House of Ignis.

To those who lived inside it. It was a paradise. Children would laugh together, play together, learn together, and live together. Their little kingdom was ruled by the Don. Padrino looked after them like a "Godfather". Caring, warm, and loving.

But to those who are deeper in their grasp, the Garden was something more.

As the children reach the age of 10, they will undergo the Rite of Purification. They would drink the Molten Flare, and should they pass, they discard their name as a larva, and they live as the Cinderborn. Such cinderborns are the source of Intelligence for the Don. His Left Hands and his Right Hands stretch like a shadow lit by flickering flames.

Those who fail to be cinderborn are adopted, their memories cleansed of their memories of the House, and they get to normal lives with loving families.

But to those who become Cinderborns, they become part of the Garden for life. But they are idolised by the Larvae, and they, in turn, take care of them. And once they reach the age of 15, they continue to live as an operative for the Emberwatch.

The children would speak of the names of their older siblings in awe, respect, and love, but the one name they avoided was "Moth".

To them, Moth was a very reliable yet quiet brother. He looked cold and indifferent, but deep down, he cares. The young ones would pester Padrino endlessly to let Moth play with them. But Moth would lightly scold them not to vex "Godfather".

Moth was an indescribable member of the Garden. He has a knack for being an effective diplomat or a silent assassin. Yet he shows no malice nor greed when it comes to missions. He is cruel yet frugal, he is calm, yet his flames burn as if he is angry. But he loves his family so much that someone's betrayal causes him to cry in sharp grief.

Moth's birthday was fast approaching, and to commemorate the event, Padrino called him to his office. The boy was now clean from the grime, soot, and smoke he accumulated last night. His hair, while still bushy and brown, was kept; his dull eyes flickered with admiration and somewhat of energy. But most importantly, there was the scar that played across the bridge of his nose, a scar he got after fighting a leadership spar with a fellow Cinderchild.

Padrino smiled at him, and Moth greeted him as usual. The boy sat down at his table while Padrino sorted through file after file until he lifted it up.

"For today's assignment. I trust you can handle this, mi fillio?" Padrino gave Moth a folder.Moth scanned his assignment with his dull eyes, his eyes slightly widened by the task:'Eliminate the traitors in Vasco Port.'

Treachery is a serious offence against the Garden. Once you are marked, the Garden will seize you no matter what. Dead or Alive. The Former being the merciful route.

Moth then turned to the target pages. Three Cinderborns. Stag Beetle, Bombardier, and Botfly. Members of the Garden's Vasco Branch. His eyes began to swell with tears, but he kept them in.

"Those three will anticipate that I would send Wolf or Dragonfly against them. But they will never anticipate you. Why is that?" Padrino gave him a sympathetic look.

Moth knows. Everyone knows. Moth's devotion to the family was unparalleled. They knew that Moth would never hurt a family member, even in a spar.

"But..." Moth found himself hesitating, but one look from Padrino says it all.

"However. You never hurt your family. But they'll hurt you and everyone here. Is that what you want?" Padrino rose to his feet and reminded Moth.

Wrath makes you predictable, Grief makes you indecisive. Since they betrayed the Garden, they will no longer be his siblings. Moth's face became expressionless, to the point where his mind became clear.

"I shall see to it done, "Godfather," Moth asks for his blessing and set out, but Caterpillar was standing by the door, he was holding out a cake.

"Y-you're leaving already, Moth?" He asked. He pouted, knowing full well that "Godfather" gave him a task. Moth said nothing, but a pat to the head meant one thing:

Save some for me.

Padrino walked towards Caterpillar and recited what he always tells his Children, an ode dedicated to Moth:

"Fly and scatter, may the wrath of emberflames cover your trail. May it be the wings that guide you home, mi fillio. My moth."

Moth set out. Vasco Port wasn't the largest port, nor was it functioning anymore. It served as a Hideout for those crossing the border. But it is also where some members of the Cinderborn would try to escape.

Normally, this job was for the Daunting Wolf or the all-mighty Dragonfly. But Bombardier and Stag would be able to withstand Wolf, and Botfly can outmaneuver Dragonfly. So... "Godfather" sent the only Cinderchild who embodies the Flames of Punishment.

Arriving at Vasco, Botfly was a young girl with green eyes; her expression was a mask of fear. Thinking she was about to face Dragonfly, her Hypervelocity abilities make her tricky. Bombardier was a burly guy; his arms could generate explosive grease. And the leader and brains of this escape committee was none other than Stag. He may not look much with his spectacled face, but his size is a ruse for his sheer power of cutting and slicing.

Moth sighed, they were traitors, so why was he hesitating...

He remembers when they were still larvae, Moth would share his blanket with Bombardier, he would give Botfly pointers on how to wrap a sail, and he talked routes and navigation with Stag. So... They were prepared for this. And it was all Moth's fault.

Moth scatters ember-like scales across the whole area, but it was almost not noticeable. Some of it was scattered around the boat. Then he made his presence known.

"Stag, Bomby, Botfly?" Moth appeared clueless. The three were shocked to see him. "Godfather" was right; they never anticipated him.

"What's going on here?" Moth asked.

"What's going on... Why are you here, fratelli?" Stag asked; he was sweating bullets, and Bombardier was shifting his legs left and right.

"I asked first. "Godfather" never issued a joint mission beyond the borders." Moth pressed, looking for a clue on why they want to leave and betray the Garden.

"U-um Moth... You see." Botfly stuttered, but she couldn't find the words.

"You guys... Aren't leaving the Garden, right?" Moth asked, and only silence remained. Two seconds... Thirty seconds. One minute...

"Why are you doing this?" Moth's voice became calm, but the three shifted backwards. One thing they learned when they were kids was that when Moth asks something in a calm voice, he would ignite anyone who dares to question him.

But Stag has had enough. His expression turned desperate.

"WE DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN THE GARDEN ANYMORE, MOTH!" He exclaimed, "EVERY DAY IT'S MISSION AFTER MISSION, WELL I'M SICK OF IT."

"Leaving the Garden is the same as abandoning the Family. Which leaves everyone vulnerable. And if everyone is vulnerable, they get hurt. Do any of you understand?" Moth elaborated in a deadly calm voice.

"We know... But we didn't choose to be Cinderborn. And I know you didn't, either. So please, let us go." Botfly pleaded.

Moth took a deep sigh and stared at them with a cold, blank expression.

"The rules of the Garden are laid bare. So I ask you again, mi fratello and mi sorella. Are you truly going to leave?"

The three were dead set on leaving.

"Botfly, get the ship ready to sail! We'll buy you time!" Stag shouted, and he and Bombardier lunged towards Moth.

"Fools..." Moth whispered, and he blocked both Bombardier and Stag's fists with ease. Stag was surprised, and Bombardier was afraid.

Moth then grabbed both their wrists and slammed them into each other before throwing them aside. He then fashioned a burning wheel from his palm and launched it at the mast of the ship. The mast snapped like a twig and toppled onto the ship.

Moth walked expressionless towards Botfly, who was now cowering in fear.

"Why are you doing this to us?!" Botfly lunged at highspeed but Moth caught her by the throat. His eyes locked onto hers, and an indifferent expression played across his face as he tossed her away towards Stag.

"Understand this... Betraying the Garden means betraying us. When you raised your fists towards me, our relationship as siblings was gone." Moth declared, and Stag lunged at him, this time, using two wooden planks as substitutes for swords, but Moth easily avoided it and grabbed and twisted Stag's left arm. He then used Stag as a cover from Bombardier's Gel.

Stag stuttered from the material, and in his discombobulated expression, Moth followed up a kick to his gut, launching him towards Bombardier with the force of a cannonball. All three were disoriented and cowering.

They were fiercely reminded of who Moth was. The Wrath of Godfather.

"You wound me... I never wanted this to happen, but you forced my hand. And as such, the rules of the Garden must be upheld. May the Inferno Condemn you."

When Moth said that, Bombardier tried to protect them, but little did he know. That Moth's embers were already scattered among Stag and Botfly, and that his explosive grease will make the flames... Worse.

Moth snapped his fingers, and a great inferno blazed, engulfing Vasco and vaporising the waters that were near the shore.

When the flames died out, only Moth remained, his dull eyes were crying tears in the shape of blood.

"Forgive me for enacting your sentences. But you gave me no choice." Moth said as he took the Cinderborn Badges from the Ashes.

Three more lives... Were added to his ledger. A cruel joke. A Gruesome gift. Even though he wasn't here, he could hear "Godfather's" words:

Happy Birthday, my Fire Moth.