Bastileborn - Dragon Fire Pt. 03

"That's preposterous!" Faddon laughed as he shook his head at Ragos. "Why are you wasting our time with this ridiculous story? I say chain him to the wall and let him die!"

"Not yet, your royal highness," Tornabby interrupted. "Let him finish his explanation. On what grounds do you base these claims, Ragos Rubellite?"

"First of all, no one has any idea how the human woman got into the mountain. I did NOT bring her in here. How in the hell could I have gotten her past the brass guards? I'm not that smart! Ask anybody! She simply let herself in because she was a god, not a human. Believe me when I say she made love like a god. I've fucked plenty of humans since my banishment, and none of them have given me the heavenly pleasure she gave me that night. Thus I did not commit racial treason by fucking a human in the holy garden. I fucked a god against my knowledge," he said proudly as he smiled at Sidian, thinking he had made an excellent argument. Sidian had his hand over his eyes.

"By the gods, Ragos," Faddon chuckled. "Thank you for confirming, without a shadow of a doubt, that you proudly committed racial treason in the holy garden. Then you proceeded to commit more treason with humans after you left the Living Mountain. Brass Dragon Guards, chain him to the wall and put him to sleep," he ordered as he waved his hand at Ragos.

"What? No! A GOD specifically chose me for their own pleasure! How is that a crime? I would call it an honor. Also, the king himself committed racial treason in his own personal garden with Queen Tolimire during the holy week. No one banished him for it! Is that fair?" he yelled angrily as two brass guards dragged him from the dais. "Fuck! Sorry, Sidian! I guess I fucked up again!" he called as they dragged him through the wildflowers and over to the wall of the mountain.

Sidian watched with his heart pounding as the brass guards hammered a large manacle into the stone wall. Then they shoved Ragos to his knees and forced his neck into it. They locked it tight around his throat, leaving him little room to breathe. There was a long line of kneeling stone figures against the wall that had gone before Ragos. Tears were streaming down the red dragon's face as he pulled helplessly at the manacle. In a last-ditch effort to escape, he attempted to shift into his war form, but the manacle was infused with magic, preventing him from changing. A purple elder approached Ragos at that point and placed his hand on his brilliant red hair. He began casting the spell that would put him to sleep until he turned to stone.

Tears were streaming down Sidian's face as he watched Ragos's eyes close and his arms fall limp at his sides. He wanted to run to his brother and break him free so they could escape, but his love for Lacia held him in place. If he chose to fight for Ragos, he would be forfeiting his life and Zorin's life. He couldn't do that. He felt sick as he swallowed down his despair. His fire was still trembling violently inside him, pushing against the shattered glass of his reason. He needed to stay calm.

"Sidian Obsidian, the last black dragon of the Living Mountain and the century transcendent. Take your place upon the dais and state your reason for returning to the Living Mountain in contempt of your banishment," Tornabby ordered.

Sidian took a deep breath and stepped up on the white marble dais. He slowly approached the fountain and gazed into the low basin. The pale blue water sparkled in the glow of the Living Mountain. The last time he was there, he had fallen from the ascended realm and broken many bones upon impact with the marble basin. He clearly remembered the pain of it. It sharpened his senses to remember what he did that day. He turned his back to the fountain and bowed low to the elders and to the despised king.

"I, Sidian Obsidian, come before you to claim my innocence in the wake of great injustice. Crimes have been committed against me, my father, my brother, and my beloved fiancee," he began as he gazed past the king to Lacia, sleeping peacefully among the wildflowers. "We are innocent victims under a criminal king. He sits before us on a throne of honor, but he is far less deserving of life than any victim sealed to that wall," he stated, causing an eruption of murmurs from the citizens.

"Silence, all!" Tornabby demanded as he slammed his green staff into the stones, creating a small tremor across the ground. "Cease with the insults, young dragon, and state your claim clearly. Continue," he ordered.

Faddon glared at Sidian with fire threatening to erupt in his eyes as the garden fell silent. Sidian swallowed his rage again so he could continue.

"I was banished from my home nineteen years ago for saving the lives of King Luradon and Queen Tolimire. It happened during the holy week of the Blood Accord. I discovered King Faddon in the act of raping a drugged Queen Tolimire in the royal garden. Dragon Elder Zorin was witness to it as well."

"That's preposterous!" Faddon bellowed as he rose from his throne in a rage. "Zorin witnessed nothing of the sort! He merely came upon our sordid misunderstanding after that whore queen drugged me!" he spat.

"LIAR!" Sidian growled.

"Peace in the garden!" Tornabby bellowed, silencing everyone again. "Zorin, what side do you take in this argument? Did you or did you not witness the king raping the human queen?"

Zorin stood and took a shaky breath. Sidian could tell he was still reeling from seeing his own son sealed to the wall of dead criminals.

"I have to agree with the king," he admitted sadly. "I did not catch him in the act of raping the human queen. I came upon the king and Sidian arguing in the garden. The king was partially clothed, and the human queen was naked on the ground, implying something sordid had happened. I did not witness the crime itself."

"There you have it!" Faddon scoffed as he smiled at Sidian. "It comes down to my word against his, and who would believe the word of a traitor over a king?"

"I AM NOT THE TRAITOR!" Sidian bellowed in his war form voice, shaking the stones of the mountain.

Everyone gasped and began murmuring again. Only royal dragons possessed the ability to amplify their voices while not in war form. Sidian had just revealed his lineage to every dragon in the Living Mountain. Faddon was seething as he glared at Sidian.

"Silence in the garden!" Tornabby demanded as he also glared at Sidian. It was considered extremely rude for noble dragons to raise their voices at the king. "Be more respectful of your king, young dragon. No one has proven anything yet. Your life is still on the line. Continue," he ordered.

"Before this criminal speaks again," Faddon interrupted. "I would like to remind him that he was not banished for defending human royalty. He was banished for threatening my life in my very own bedchamber after that bastard Luradon attacked me!" he yelled.

"He attacked you for raping his wife, you stupid fuck!" Sidian snapped, sending another wave of murmurs up from the crowd.

"For the love of the gods! Silence in the garden!" Tornabby growled as he pounded his staff on the ground multiple times, bringing order to the tribunal. "One more disrespectful outburst from you, Sidian, and I will have you chained to the wall next to your brother. State your claim to innocence or be damned," he ordered.

"I am innocent in the face of a king that consorted with Daylith to bring about the destruction of the elves. King Faddon also used an object of destiny to put his own daughter in a timeless sleep. King Faddon has been ordering the Brass Dragon Guards to do the bidding of other mortal kings. His intentions were to massacre the continent with war! That's a crime against the Living Mountain, against our race, and against the mortal realm! The new king of the elves and the new king of Daylith were witnesses to these crimes. King Faddon has been sending assassins after me almost monthly since I was banished from the Living Mountain. Once he realized he had a half daughter, he began sending assassins after her as well! I have been fighting to keep myself and Lacia alive since the night she was conceived. That king that stands before you considers us a threat to his rule, and we never even challenged him for it!" he yelled with tears streaming down his face.

Faddon was panting with rage as he glared at Sidian, but he knew he still had the high ground. Dragon tribunals were intentionally balanced to favor the king. Sidian couldn't immediately prove anything he was claiming.

"Sidian," Tornabby began, "you have made incredible claims against your king. Are you willing to wait in prison until the witnesses you named can be brought to the Living Mountain for questioning?"

"No! While I wait in prison, Faddon will simply hire more assassins to murder my friends! I need resolution now!" he demanded.

"But there is none that favor you, idiot!" Faddon bellowed with his arms out in exasperation. "Unless..." he mumbled as he stared at the fountain behind Sidian. "Unless you aim to challenge my rule and show your true face to the citizens of the Living Mountain," he said with a wicked smile.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Sidian demanded.

"Everyone here should know by now that you are a legitimate heir to the dragon throne. Your voice gave it away," Faddon muttered. "Your great grandfather, King Shadolin Obsidian, was the last black dragon to rule before he was usurped by my great grandfather, King Bulandio Opal. The Opals have been keeping the Obsidian line under close watch ever since. Your father pissed me off not too long after you were born, forcing me to massacre the rest of your kin. Our gracious elders prevented me from smashing your egg, sadly. So, Sidian Obsidian, do you intend to challenge my worthiness to command the Brass Dragon Guards?"

Sidian stared at Faddon in confusion, knowing he was planning something sinister, but what it could be was escaping him at that moment. Sidian looked at Zorin with pleading eyes, and the red dragon slightly nodded his head, telling him to play along with Faddon.

"Very well... I do challenge your worthiness to be king," Sidian declared.

"Ah-ha! There we go. A usurper among us," Faddon bellowed. "As stated by the rules of the elders, I, the dragon king, hold the right to propose a great challenge to test the worthiness of my royal opponent. Since you have made destructive claims against me, I have the right to demand something equally destructive of you."

"Fine," Sidian snapped. "I also agree with the rules of the elders. If your request is found reasonably fair, I will perform whatever you demand of me to prove your unworthiness."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Faddon muttered. "By order of the dragon king, I command Sidian Obsidian to enter the portal to the ascended realm and seek favor from the gods concerning his desire to replace me. His survival or death will prove his worthiness. No dragon has ever entered the portal twice and lived to speak about it. With that said, do the elders recognize my request as reasonable?" Faddon asked with a huge smile as he turned to the counsel.

Sidian's heart sank as he watched the elders talking among themselves. Then Tornabby stood again and returned to the elder's place of honor.

"The elders agree. King Faddon's request is a reasonable test of worthiness," he announced.

"What? No! That's ridiculous!" Sidian cried in despair. "The portal won't open again for another eighty years! I shall go mad by then! There is no way that request is reasonable. Please, by the gods, reconsider!" he pleaded.

"We have decided, Sidian. The terrible claims you made against King Faddon are comparable to the demand he makes of you. If you are truly worthy of replacing him, you have to enter the portal and survive. I'm sorry, Sidian, the elders have spoken."

"No! Lacia!" Sidian cried as he fell to his knees on the dais. "I'm so sorry, little flame," he wept in despair as he hid his face in his hands. He could already feel the madness overtaking him, and at that point, he wanted it. He would destroy Faddon with his rage and bring down the mountain on all the dragons. Suddenly, a powerful tremble shuddered through the stones of the Living Mountain, causing Sidian to hesitate.

"What's happening? Earthquakes are not common here," Tornabby said in alarm.

Just as suddenly as the shaking began, it ended. To everyone's astonishment, an ethereal beam of light was slowly falling down from the ceiling of the mountain until it illuminated the Fountain of Fate. Sidian looked up at the beautiful light in disbelief. The portal to the ascended realm had opened.

"What is this devilry?" Faddon bellowed. "How can the portal open outside of the holy week?" he demanded in fear as he looked at the elders for answers.

They were shaking in fear as they stared at the portal. They didn't know what it meant. It had never happened in the history of creation. Zorin stood and walked over to stand next to Tornabby. They gazed in amazement at the holy portal.

"I think I know what this means!" Tornabby announced. "It means the gods have heard you, my king! They must be eager to punish the one that challenges your rule, so they provided a miracle to declare your royal rights. A dragon can't transcend to the immortal realm twice in their lifetime. Sidian will surely die if he is foolish enough to step into the portal. You, King Faddon, are truly blessed by the gods," he said before he bowed to his knees in reverence of the king.

The rest of the elders stepped forward and knelt in reverence to their king, all except for Zorin. Sidian watched the mix of emotion on his father's face as he stepped down from his place of honor among his kinsmen.

"What are you doing, Zorin?" Faddon laughed, regaining his composure. "How can you refuse to bow in reverence to your king when the gods themselves shine their approval on me?" he demanded with a renewed sense of arrogance.

Zorin didn't even look up at Faddon as he walked past him. He approached the dais of the fountain and smiled at his precious son.

"I believe in you, Sidian. I know who the gods truly favor," he said before he bowed on one knee in front of his son.

Everyone in the area gasped at Zorin's actions. It was blatant treason in the face of the king.

"How dare you turn your back on me, old man?" Faddon screamed. "I've tolerated you enough! Guards, strike him down at once!" he yelled, prompting the brass guards to step away from the walls.

"No, your majesty!" cried Tornabby. "No bloodshed is allowed at a royal tribunal! You'll curse us all!"

"Fuck! Fine... stand down!" he yelled at the guards, bringing them to a halt around the dais.

Sidian was still on his knees as he stared at Zorin with his heart pounding in terror. His adoptive father remained, kneeling before him, completely calm in the face of death. Zorin's confidence steadied Sidian in ways he did not understand, allowing him to rise to his feet. He stared at Faddon for a moment, then he looked up at the portal.

"I accept King Faddon's challenge," Sidian declared as he looked at the elders.

"What?" gasped Tornabby. "Sidian, you can't be serious. If you step into that portal, you will surely die. It's not worth it!"

"Yes, it is," he said as he looked across the garden at Lacia.

"The challenge is accepted!" Zorin declared as he rose to his feet and turned to face Faddon and the elders. "There is nothing more to be said. Sidian will transcend to the immortal realm a second time. He will ask the gods who is truly worthy of being king. What they say doesn't even matter if he survives the trip. He will have fulfilled the challenge, making him the new king of the dragons."

"None of it matters!" Faddon bellowed at Zorin. "He will not survive the journey, I assure you. I hold Gwendoline's favor, not that pathetic little whelp. She probably opened the portal so she could kill him herself!"

"Please be calm, my king," Tornabby demanded before he looked at the dais. "Sidian, please, don't throw your life away. You're the last black dragon in the realm. The Living Mountain will be magically injured if we lose you!"

"I don't give a fuck!" he cried as he turned to jump into the portal.

"WAIT, SIDIAN!" announced an overwhelmingly loud ethereal voice.

Sidian gasped and froze as the voice echoed through the stones of the Living Mountain.

"Oh good, thanks for not jumping," chuckled the voice in a normal tone a second later.

Sidian's heart was pounding as he turned to the left to meet a familiar pair of beautiful green eyes.

"Cypress," he breathed in astonishment to see the demigod approaching him. "Why are you here now?"

"I wanted to see you before you take a leap of insanity," he said with a charming smile as he stepped closer to him.

Sidian could feel the incredible warmth that radiated out of Cypress. It calmed the pain inside him.

"Will I survive this?" Sidian asked.

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you," he sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh... can you help Lacia then?" he asked as he looked across the garden. He gasped to see every dragon around them was completely frozen where they stood. "What is this?" he demanded as he looked at Cypress for answers.

"They're all fine. We are simply moving too fast for them to see, and no. I cannot help Lacia. I did not create the gold rose, so I can't break its curse. That's against the rules. I'm sorry," he whispered as he reached up and touched the side of Sidian's face. Tears were beginning to drip from his sapphire eyes.

"I see... how is the portal open then? Is that not breaking the rules?"

"You are too clever, Sidian," Cypress said with a smile. "I opened it, and it is breaking the rules. It's an action in response to one of my siblings overstepping their bounds. Their actions must be corrected before it snowballs into a disaster for the mortal realm. What happens next depends on you. I hope I chose my favorite mortal wisely."

"Why do you talk in constant riddles?" Sidian groaned.

"Because life is a riddle until it passes into history. A mortal cannot fathom the infinite possibilities a single second can possess. Follow your heart, Sidian. That's the best advice I can give you. May I kiss you now?" he asked with a grin.

Sidian looked at him and rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Why not? I'm probably about to die anyway."

"Yes!" Cypress said in delight. "Now, I want you to put some effort into this. Possibly dying in the next few minutes is no excuse for a poor performance. In fact, it's why you should do your best. It could be the last thing you ever do!"

"I get it, Cypress, you want tongue. Shut up and get over here," he grumbled.

Sidian grabbed the demigod's beautiful caramel-colored hair and jerked him forward, pressing their lips together. Cypress groaned in delight as he matted his fingers into Sidian's shiny black hair and returned his aggressive kiss. Sidian felt a shock of erotic heat rising inside his body as he kissed the beautiful demigod. He was in no mood to enjoy anything like that, but there was something about Cypress that set mortal souls on fire. The god of love could overwhelm the coldest heart with warmth and pleasure.

Suddenly, Cypress chuckled and stepped forward, pushing Sidian backward into the portal. Everything went white-hot for a short instance before it cooled again. Sidian wasn't sure what had happened, and he honestly didn't care as he continued to work his tongue into Cypress's delicious mouth.

"Ugh, disgusting! How dare you do that here, Cypress?" demanded a high, arrogant voice. In spite of its sour tone, the voice echoed through the air like a melody, startling Sidian out of his aroused daze.

Sidian gasped as he pushed away from Cypress. He was immediately hit with a familiar heavy air. He was in the ascended realm, and he could feel its weight threatening to crush him. He looked to his right and met the eyes of the bright and shining goddess Gwendoline. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. She was scowling at him and Cypress like they were disgusting insects.