February 15 [Priest (2011)] Set The World On Fire

[metallikirk.livejournal.com]

Title: Set The World On Fire
Day/Theme: February 15: All things, oh priests, are on fire...
Series: Priest (2011)
Character/Pairing: Black Hat
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Black Hat basks in the fires of his own making. Title comes from the Black Veil Brides song of the same name


Ashes filtered through the air, borne on the night breezes to scatter down upon the ground and over everything, like a fine smattering of grey snow, coarse and burning hot in places. Black Hat stood still amongst the fires of his own making, face lit by the flickering flames before him, turning his ethereally handsome face demonic in guttering shadowy blasts. The fires licked at his fangs whenever he grinned, illumined in the glow and aftershocks of the flames. The flames caught in his eyes, turning the yellow irises gold and red flecked, flickering light dancing within them to become a part of him.

Black Hat chuckled to himself, glancing round at the almost deserted streets. It was long past curfew and most of the city’s denizens had already hurried home, not bearing witness to the carnage that went on in their very streets. Even those who lived nearby didn’t dare venture out to investigate, nor did they come to their windows to spy on the flames and the scant few outside. Black Hat knew that they were too fearful of retribution from him to even do so much as move the curtains in the wrong direction.

“Ah, the streets are where we come out to play,” he laughed to himself, darkly.

The flames licked at the knots of wood piled high, sputtering as sap caught and dried, sparking up in crackling flames and burning embers. Each little sputter and crackle were like hymns of the lonely, all those faceless citizens that were lost and alone, wandering in the darkened days like mindless sheep-like drones. Black Hat was thankful that he’d at least escaped the mindless tenacity of the hordes, no longer controlled by the Church or his penitent brethren. No matter how he still hated the other Priests to leave him to essentially die at the caves of Sola Mira, they had at least done him the favour of freeing him from his former life. Now he could do whatever he wanted and no one was strong enough to stand in his way and stop him.

He waited, nostrils flaring as he scented his Familiars growing closer. He could hear the cries of the few Priests and Priestesses he’d managed to weed out in this forsaken place, crying, screaming, begging to be let free. Black Hat snarled, top lip curling into a sneer of disgust.

“Priests. You disgust me,” he growled to himself, turning slowly, coat tails swaying about his thighs with that one minimal movement.

He watched, yellow predator’s gaze following the Familiar’s movements, as they dragged the Priests and Priestesses towards the flames. Each one reached out to Black Hat as though reaching for their saviour instead of their executioner. Black Hat raised his hand, fingers waggling in a mocking little wave as he stayed stock still, made no attempt to help them.

“Bye bye,” he said, as the first Priest was tossed upon the flames of the crackling fire.

He did not flinch as the screams cycled higher, limbs thrashing in the roaring tumult, frightened wails growing louder from the Priests that were forced to watch. Black Hat stood back and watched impassively, fire dancing in the irises of his eyes once more, as another Priest was tossed to the flames. The Familiars danced mockingly, dragging the remaining few around with them, tossing them to the perpetually hungry fire one by one by one. Black Hat watched his handiwork being perpetrated for him, hat dipping over his face to shadow his eyes modestly, as his head bowed low.

“Soon all things shall burn,” he growled. “All Priests shall burn.”

He stood and watched, as each and every last one of the Priests burned up in the fires of his own making, eyes unblinking and all seeing. His fangs glinted in the guttering light as the flames danced to the music of Black Hat’s creation long into the night.