Ignis

Ignis's dying mother reveals that his father is Prometheus and the fire within him is a gift, not a curse. She warns him to hide it from everyone or Zeus will kill him. After her death, Ignis vows revenge.

A fellow soldier bullies Ignis and steals his bread. Ignis suppresses his rage and resolves to hide his fire, realizing he must become someone everyone underestimates. Only when their guard is down can he climb from the bottom and strike at Zeus.

An officer taunts Ignis, calling him a dog and forcing him to run while carrying a heavy load. Ignis draws on the strength of Prometheus's blood to endure, but hides his power by pretending to collapse. A fellow slave carries him away.

An officer orders Ignis to move a massive stone alone. Ignis uses his hidden strength but feigns near-collapse to conceal his power. Silas carries him back and admits he has noticed Ignis keeps getting back up. That night, Lyria visits and they share a moment of forgetting they are slaves.

A tax party strips three villages of gold in three days, with an officer declaring that taking a villager's life savings pleases the gods. Ignis nearly loses control and almost sets a cart of gold ablaze, but Silas warns him to stay hidden and he forces the fire back down.

Ignis nearly loses control after seeing the tax party take slaves, but Silas stops him and tends to his bleeding foot. Silas shares how he lost his own wife and son 25 years ago while saving a child from a burning temple, warning Ignis not to let his heart get him killed. Ignis realizes Silas is protecting a secret he cannot even imagine.

Draven orders his men to strip the village of gold, take the children, and burn everything down. Ignis decides to stop hiding and unleash his power, but Silas steps in front of the attack first. As Silas lies dying, Ignis demands to know why he never waited — and why he was worth dying for.

The Mordial Fire awakens in Ignis, alerting the gods. Zeus orders the Storm Herald to descend and calls Ignis his son. Knowing something worse than Draven is coming, Ignis urges his companion to keep moving and not look at the tower.

Blue fire appears in Ignis's hand, confirming Zeus's prediction. He steps forward to protect his companions and reveals he carries Prometheus's blood. The attacker wants a taste of that blood, but Ignis senses someone on Olympus is playing a longer game.

Ignis wakes alone after his companions move on at dawn. Remembering Silas's death, he decides to stop hiding and become an officer worth searching for. He returns to the army, determined to climb higher and act before it is too late.

Ignis gives his name as Kale, claiming reassignment from the Ninth Legion after his commander died at Morning Bell. The registrar questions a shallow press mark but lets him through, citing the chaos in the Ninth. He is assigned to Commander Cassius, his lie holding by a breath.

Commander Cassius confronts Ignis, revealing he knows no officer named Kale served in the Ninth. Ignis blames the chaos of Morning Bell. Instead of punishment, Cassius praises his composure and skill at deception, officially welcoming him into the Seventh Legion and hinting he will keep the mystery close.

Marcus delivers the East Depot ledgers, and Ignis quickly spots a forged requisition bearing his name. He points out the mismatched signature and advises Cassius to investigate quietly. Cassius orders the records office log checked by nightfall.

Ignis tracks down the runner Bricius and has him deliver a note to the commander, claiming it came from Marcus. When confronted, Marcus denies writing it and lashes out physically. Cassius strips him of adjutant duties on the spot and sends him to the Drill Yard.

Cassius is named one of twelve commanders to receive a banner from Zeus himself at the decennial ceremony, and he orders Ignis to attend as his adjutant. Ignis accepts the honor outwardly but wrestles with the knowledge that he will soon stand before the man who ordered Silas's death.

Ignis stands close to Zeus at the banner ceremony and forces down his urge for revenge, telling himself today is only for remembering the man's face and growing stronger. Zeus grants the banner and warns that betrayal means eternal suffering. Ignis sees that Zeus rules fire but has none of his own.