“I just don’t know. I do not want to hurt anyone.” Arken shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
“You can beat people’s faces in with your bare hands, but you don’t want to hurt anyone?” Niman shook his head at Arken disdainfully.
“That is different. What I can do is not the same. It is unnatural. I could hurt you all.” Arken protested under Niman’s withering gaze.
“We can start small. Nothing dangerous.” Cero coaxed as Arken looked between the two of them.
“Cero, why don’t you go first?” Arken recovered a little as the focus was shifted off himself.
“All right.” Cero stepped to the table and picked up the candle. It was one of the slow burning tapers used to light the torches and lanterns or the brighter burning tallow candles. Holding his hand over the flame, he slowly lowered it until the flame was licking his palm and leaving black soot wherever it touched. After a few moments he removed his hand and showed it to Niman and Arken. There was a black patch, but that washed off exposing clean healthy skin underneath.
“That had to have hurt as bad as the deepest hell!” Niman whispered in awe.
“Your turn Arken.” Cero handed the taper to the man who apprehensively held his had several inches above the flame. He slowly lowered it until his fingers were touching the flame. A look of wonder crossed his face before he pulled his fingers away.
“Let me try.” Niman grabbed the taper and began lowering his hand over the flame. He was still an inch above the flame when he jerked his hand away and dropped the taper on the floor where it promptly went out.
“Are you okay?” Cero pointed Niman to the wash basin. After submerging his hand in the water, Niman examined the burn. A couple blisters were already forming on the red skin where the flame had been.
“No, I am not. Look at what you made me do to myself!” Niman snapped angrily as he cradled his injured hand.
“I said we shouldn’t be doing this.” Arken wrung his hands anxiously as he watched from the side.
“Be quite Arken. You and wonder boy have nothing to complain about. I'm the one that isn’t fireproof.”
“That is actually a good point. I don’t know why fire doesn’t hurt me, but it makes sense for Arken.” Cero gave Niman a rag soaked in the cool water to hold on his burn.
“Why does it make sense for me?” Arken was at a loss.
“Because, stupid, you are a pyromancer. If you weren’t fire proof, then you would have burnt yourself to a cinder the first time you used your Gift.”
“Don’t call me stupid! I'm not the one that kept my hand in a candle until it burnt.” Arken clenched his fists angrily.
“Calm down Niman.” Cero stepped between the men.
“Why do I have to calm down? He is the one that is being unreasonable.” Niman snorted and crossed his arms before flinching and uncrossing them to holding his hand again.
“You are feeding it. Calm down and he will to. Until he learns to block you out, he can’t help it.”
“Hey!” Arken advanced menacingly on Cero now. Out of the corner of his eye Cero saw Bani suddenly moved at Arken. The little dragon didn’t waste time trying to glide, but scrambled off the bed and up Arken’s leg.
“What the…” Arken reacted to a strange sound at his shoulder and a sudden needling sensation. Looking over, he found himself looking into a pair of emerald eyes above a full set of needle sharp teeth mere inches from his nose. “Get it off!” Arken began thrashing his arm vigorously.
“Lisel vorda skel!” A chill swept through the room and everyone stopped moving. Bani groggily shook his head as Cero removed him from Arken’s outstretched arm. A moment later both Arken and Niman started moving again.
“It startled me.” Arken shook his head and sank into a chair.
“So, Niman, what I was saying is that your gift has something to do with healing. Why don’t you see if you can heal that burn on your hand?” Cero scratched Bani’s head as the little dragon hummed in contentment.
“I… uh… My hand actually feels a lot better… even though I feel a little cold. I somehow don’t think that my hand is the point any longer. That is a dragon isn’t it.” Niman flexed the fingers on his burnt hand. There was still a red spot, but it was half the size of a minute ago