Bastileborn - Dragon Fire Pt. 03

Sidian was on edge to be away from Lacia. He had to focus on keeping his mind from wandering to all the horrible things that could happen while he was away. He took a deep breath as Wesley led him into the king's parlor. They found it empty.

"That's strange. Father must have gone to the water closet. I'll go find him," he said before he left Sidian alone in the room.

Sidian wandered around the stately parlor, admiring Fumarus's collection of books and art. As he walked by the large mahogany desk, he felt a strange shock of magic race up his arm where his hand brushed the desktop. He looked at the items on the desk in confusion for a moment. There was a beautiful wooden box that stood out among the other items. It was carved with magnificent detail. The flowers depicted in the carving looked as if they had been real at one point.

"This is something special," he whispered as he touched the box, feeling the magic race through his fingers again.

He glanced at the door before he quickly opened the ornate lid to see what was inside. His heart beat faster as he laid eyes on the most exquisitely crafted golden rose he had ever seen. It sparkled with divine magic even when it wasn't in direct sunlight.

"Fuck... why does he have something like this?" he whispered in confusion.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the door. He quickly closed the box and stepped over to the window. He gazed at the courtyard as King Fumarus entered the parlor and greeted him.

"Terribly sorry if I kept you waiting, Sidian. Things are a bit crazy at the moment. Everyone needs my approval for every little thing," he sighed as he approached his guest.

"Not a problem, your majesty. I completely understand. What did you want to discuss?"

"I feel rather terrible for how I reacted in the yard towards your beautiful fiancee. After speaking with Wesley, I was reminded of how cold I appear to outsiders. Please accept my deepest apologies. I would apologize to Miss Lacia directly, but I'm so ashamed of myself at the moment, I can't bring myself to face her again. I've never been good with females, to be honest. Just ask the queen," he admitted in embarrassment.

Sidian smiled and nodded in understanding. He wasn't sure if Fumarus was socially awkward or if he acted that way on purpose to make outsiders feel less comfortable.

"Anyhow," Fumarus continued, "I was hoping to give her something special as an apology gift," he said as he walked over to his desk and touched the beautifully carved box. "This was a gift to me from a dear friend. I would love for Lacia to have it. I'm hoping it will lift her spirit and make her feel more at ease in our kingdom," he explained as he opened the box so Sidian could see the magnificent gold rose again.

A shiver ran up his spine as he looked at it.

"Would you like to hold it, Sidian? It's rather magnificent up close," he said with a smile as he lifted the gold rose from its red velvet cradle and offered it to Sidian.

Every nerve in Sidian's body was telling him to back away from the thing, but he didn't dare do it under Fumarus's gaze.

"I'd rather not. It looks too delicate. Dragon's are not graceful with delicate things. That's why we don't wear jewelry. Who gave it to you?" he asked curiously.

"My favorite cousin, Duke Maxwell of Silver Crest. I just visited him last week. He finds the most spectacular items for me. I fear he may be getting them from less than reputable sources. His village is rather close to the Pirate Islands. What's wrong, Sidian? Do you not think it is nice enough for the princess?" he asked in concern as he looked at the rose in dismay.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. Lacia is not very fond of roses. She fell into a rose bush as a child and was rather traumatized by it. She cringed when she saw the queen's rose garden earlier."

"Oh, goodness. Thanks for telling me. I won't insult her with this then," he said, shaking his head as he put the rose away and closed the box. "Damn, I don't have anything else interesting to offer her at the moment."

"It's all right, your majesty," Sidian said with a smile. "Your kind words of apology have tremendously eased my spirit. A few simple words from me about your kind gesture will lift Lacia's spirit. Perhaps we can dine together soon. You can offer her your finest sparkling wine as an apology gift. We can all enjoy that together."

"Excellent idea, Sidian. I shall do just that. We shall have a feast in Lacia's honor tonight. I have a sparkling plum wine from Camsheer that will dazzle her taste buds. It's double proof, a Camsheer specialty."

"Wonderful! Thank you again, your majesty. I shall go inform her of your graciousness at once. What time will dinner be?"

"Six o'clock sharp."

Sidian nodded and gave him a courteous bow before he promptly left the parlor. He wasn't surprised to see four armed guards stationed outside the door as if they were expecting to be needed. He smiled at them before he hurried on his way. Once he was out of the royal hall, he ran back to the queen's sitting room and burst through the door, startling everyone out of their seats. A loud metallic clank followed as Lacia dropped the silver blob she had melted with her magic. It shattered the stone tile at her feet.

"Shit! Sorry!" she squeaked as she looked at Ellora and Wesley.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Ragos asked as he looked at Sidian.

Sidian quickly closed and locked the door behind him.

"We need to get out of here," he said as he walked over to the balcony and looked out at the garden for potential threats. He grumbled at the rows of archers lining the palace walls.

"Why? What happened?" Wesley demanded.

"Your father tried to trick me into touching an object of destiny. He's definitely working with our enemies," he grumbled as he walked over to Lacia and picked up the metal blob she had made and gave it back to her.

"A destiny object? Was it like Thistle's arrow?" Lacia asked in astonishment.

"No. It was a beautiful gold rose. It felt... sinister. I think it would have done something far worse to me than rot off my hand. Fumarus touched it without it hurting him, so it was given to him by someone very powerful. That proves he's up to no good," he said as he looked at Lacia's troubled eyes. "What are you doing with that metal?" he asked in reference to the melted blob of silver she was holding.

"Oh, I was trying to use it as a defensive weapon," she said sheepishly.

"What? I don't want you fighting! Who put that idea in your head?" he demanded as he took the metal ball from her.

"I put it in my head," she snapped. "I love fighting, and I want to fight back! Or at least defend myself. Ragos was helping me make a defensive shield."

"I don't want you fighting, period! If anything happens to you, I will literally go insane. You both know that!" he growled as he threw the metal ball at Ragos. Ragos quickly grabbed it out of the air before it smashed into his face.

"You're starting to sound like Megan!" Lacia huffed. "You don't act like a princess, Lacia. You don't even act like a girl, Lacia. Blah blah blah!" she griped as she walked over to Ragos and snatched the ball out of his hand. "Watch this," she ordered as she quickly infused it with magic.

Sidian watched in astonishment as an intricate, glowing geodesic dome completely surrounded Lacia. She had her hands held out, touching the delicate metal dome at different points to make it glow with her fire.

"Really impressive, huh, brother? Ready, princess?" Ragos asked as he drew his sword and looked at Lacia.

She nodded, prompting Ragos to swing his sword as hard as he could against the shimmering shield. The impact created a spray of sparks and a brilliant metallic chime. Sidian's mouth dropped open in disbelief as he watched them.

"Shit... you learned that while I was gone?" he asked as he walked over to examine the magic shield.

"Yes. It's not hard. Look what else I can do," she said with a grin as she morphed the metal into a spiked cage.

"That's just bad ass!" Ragos said with a grin.

"It weakens the shield a bit, but I could seriously hurt someone with it."

Sidian let out a despairing sigh as he looked at Lacia's smiling face. He knew he should not have left her alone with Ragos.

"Little flame, I'm proud that you learned to do that so quickly, but do you want to carry that much silver with you all the time?"

"Sure, watch this," she said with a smirk as she quickly reformed the silver into a rather spectacular chain-link garment. She draped it over herself like a shimmering summer dress.

"Oh my... I want one of those," Ellora said with a smile as she came closer to inspect the tiny links of the dress.

"Wow, you proved me wrong again. You're amazing, Lacia," Sidian said with a smile.

"Thank you," she said, feeling very proud of herself. "What should we do now? Flee to Talfane this very instant?"

"I want to, but shit is getting out of hand fast," Sidian grumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair. "We should wait until nightfall to make our escape. Getting shot in the ass by Carus arrows is not on my list of things to do this evening. Maybe I can pick the king's brain a little more before we go," he sighed as he plopped down on the sofa.

They decided to attend the royal banquet in Lacia's honor before they fled into the night. If Fumarus was planning any surprises for them, they would be ready for it. Lacia wasn't surprised to see the dining hall was decorated in the same formal white and gold pattern as the rest of the palace. She had to admit it was extremely beautiful but not welcoming. The elaborate gold chandeliers hanging low over the massive mahogany dining table were unlike anything she had ever seen in Luria. Where most chandeliers had sweeping curves, Carus chandeliers had hard angles and long rectangles. The design added to the high-minded opulence she felt from the rest of the palace. The elf king greeted everyone graciously as they entered the dining hall that evening. He even awkwardly apologized to Lacia before they sat down to enjoy their meal. As they were starting on their desserts, Fumarus stood to toast Wesley for his bravery in Mauve Pearl Village.

"I am very proud of you, my son," he began as he held his sparkling plum wine high in the air. "When I heard you personally took up arms to defend your allies, my heart swelled with pride. Your mother and I raised a brave and honorable prince that, unfortunately, brought enemies straight into our home," he said rather coldly as he lowered his glass to the table and glared at Sidian.

Suddenly, the doors behind Fumarus burst open, and in marched four Brass Dragon Guards in their spectacular brass armor, sending Sidian and Ragos straight to their feet. Lacia stared in wonder at the shimmering gold wings folded against the guards' backs as they gathered behind Ragos and Sidian. Their beauty was disarming to someone that wasn't used to seeing them. Lacia didn't know how dangerous they were.

"I fucking knew it! You've allied yourself with Faddon!" Sidian bellowed as blue fire flashed in his eyes.

The brass guards immediately pointed their swords at Sidian's neck.

"Calm yourself, young dragon," Fumarus said with a smirk. "They're not here to kill you. Faddon wants you and his half breed daughter taken back to the Living Mountain alive. His assassins have failed multiple times to capture her, so he came to me for help. He offered to spy on Ellora's abomination for me if I helped him capture his own. This would have been so much easier if you had just taken the rose I offered you. I suggest you willingly go with the guards before I order them to take you by force."

Sidian was panting with rage as he stared at the elf king. He felt his fire burning hot inside his chest. He feared he might burst into his war form if he didn't contain it. He quickly closed his eyes and began counting in his head, forcing his body and mind to cool down. He had trained himself for decades to stay calm in situations like that, but Lacia's presence added a desperate element to his fears. He would go completely mad if anything happened to her. He had little practice in dealing with that terrifying reality. Lacia could see the desperate strain on his handsome face as he stood there with his eyes closed. She knew he was thinking about her at that moment.

"You sicken me, Fumarus," Sidian growled a second later. "You prove you have no honor," he whispered as he opened his eyes and glared at the king.

Suddenly, Sidian noticed movement so fast from Wesley he flinched at what he was witnessing. Wesley had been sitting next to the king at dinner, but now he was on his feet with a long dagger in hand. He was about to plow it into his father's chin. Sidian gasped and summoned his wings in an explosion of blue fire, knocking the brass guards behind him against the wall. He did it to prevent the dragon guards from attacking the prince as he murdered his own father right in front of them. Ellora and Lacia shrieked in horror at the sudden chaos. Lacia kept her wits about her and threw her shield around herself and Ellora as the room erupted into flashing lights and clanging swords.

Ellora watched in horrified disbelief as Wesley stabbed his father under his chin, driving the long dagger all the way to the top of his skull. It rose through his hair like a small bloodied horn. Wesley had a broken expression on his handsome face as he watched his father crumple back into his chair, dead and bleeding. Just as fast as the chaos erupted, it suddenly stopped. The dragon guards ceased their attacks and stood at attention against the wall, leaving Ragos and Sidian panting in confusion.

"What the fuck are they doing? Why did they stop?" Ragos yelled as he turned to look at the scene behind him. "Oh fuck... they lost their master," he whispered in shock to see Fumarus dead. Wesley was kneeling beside his father's chair with blood on his hands.

"By the gods," Sidian breathed as he sheathed his swords.

He hurried around the table to examine Fumarus and potentially save him, but there was nothing he could do. The elf king was dead. Wesley had stabbed him through his brain, killing him almost instantly.

"He deserved it," Wesley whispered with tears streaming down his face.

Sidian gulped and looked at the prince in pity. Wesley was beginning to lose his breath with sobs.

"You are too young for this shit," Sidian grumbled as he knelt on the floor and embraced the prince.

At that moment, Wesley was simply a child weeping over the loss of his father. Lacia, Ragos, and Ellora watched the heartbreaking scene as Sidian tried to comfort him.

"Calm down, Wesley," Sidian whispered soothingly. "I know the world feels like it's ending, but it isn't. Thank you for what you've done. You have no idea how much I owe you," he whispered with his own throat tight with grief. "You're the king of the elves now, and your city is about to be attacked. We will not leave your side until Carus is safe. I promise," he declared as he drew away from him and searched his stricken eyes.

Wesley looked at him and nodded, but he burst into sobs again when he saw his mother's tear-streaked face. Lacia quickly released Ellora from her protective shield so she could go to her son. They hugged and cried for many minutes as guards and servants rushed into the room. They all stared aghast at their murdered king.

"Wesley, you have to tell them what you've done," Ellora whispered as she held his face and searched his eyes. "Tell them why you did it."

He took a deep breath and nodded as he quickly wiped away his tears and stood to look at the shocked faces around him.

"Gentle citizens of Carus," he began in a trembling voice. "I'm heartbroken to inform you that my father, King Fumarus, betrayed us all to the dragon king and the king of Daylith. He was consorting with them against Luria. I killed him for betraying our allies. I'm ashamed to be his son, but I am not ashamed to be your king. The former king will be taken to the catacombs tonight. He will not be buried until all of Carus knows what he has done. I will let the citizens decide if they want him buried with honors or not. A king that does not value his citizens does not deserve to be king," he declared as he looked among the stunned faces of the palace servants.

"All hail King Wesley Valimeer of Carus," Ellora declared before she bowed to one knee at Wesley's feet.

Sidian, Ragos, and Lacia quickly did the same. The guards and servants, one by one, dropped to their knees and repeated Ellora's declaration.

"Thank you, everyone," Wesley announced before he turned his attention to the Brass Dragon Guards that were standing motionless against the wall. "By order of the new king of the elves, I banish you from my kingdom. You should return to the Living Mountain and inform Faddon that Fumarus is dead. Leave now, or I cannot promise your safety," he warned.

Everyone watched in surprise as the brass guards suddenly bowed to Wesley. Then they turned and marched out of the room.

"Sidian," Wesley began. "Thank you for protecting me from those monsters. I thought I would be dead by now for sure."

"Me too, your majesty," Sidian agreed. "You almost gave me a heart attack when I realized what you were doing."

"Ragos," Wesley said as he turned his gaze on him, "thank you and Lacia as well for protecting us. I couldn't have asked for better friends."

"No problem, your highness," Ragos said with a nod. "Now, if you fine folks don't mind, I'm going to find some whiskey. It's not every day you fight off four brass guards and live to tell about it," he sighed as he wandered from the room to find a liquor cabinet.

The Blue Delph Forest

It was late in the evening when Thistle and the boys finally reached the edge of the Blue Delph Forest. They were all silent and nervous as they traveled into the shadows of the ancient trees. The air was thick and silent. Sunlight rarely penetrated the thick canopy.

"This isn't creepy at all," Gavin mumbled as he rode ahead of the wagon. Astrum was riding behind it to guard the rear. "We'll have to make camp soon or light some lanterns. It's too dark under these trees," Gavin called over his shoulder.

"Aye, we'll light some lamps," Plinkon announced. "It's a bit early to make camp. I'll feel better getting off the main path some before we stop."

"Seriously? You prefer being in here?" Gavin asked in disbelief.

"Yep, normal road scoundrels avoid the forest."

"Sheesh, I'd rather deal with the normal scoundrels," Gavin whispered with a gulp as he peered into the shifting shadows. He gasped when he thought he saw the slightest movement out of the corner of his right eye. He stared hard into the darkness on the edge of the road with his heart pounding, but everything seemed still again.

"Gavin? Getting the jitters up there?" Thistle called when she noticed him staring into the woods.

"Of course not. I love creepy-ass forests and flesh-eating creatures of darkness," he grumbled, causing a burst of laughter from Plinkon.

When they were a few miles into the darkness, they stopped to make camp for the night. Gavin was on edge the entire time, prompting plenty of teasing from his friends.

"Ya know what I heard?" Plinkon began as he helped Astrum feed the horses. "Delphians like to eat living flesh, so they'll tie their victims to a tree and chew on their legs for days."

"Really?" Astrum asked. "I heard they like to roast the legs over a fire while the victim is asleep."

"Will you two please shut up?" Gavin grumbled as he went about collecting twigs and branches for the fire.

Astrum and Plinkon continued snickering, prompting Gavin to walk a little further away from them. It was harder to see branches as he walked further from the lanterns. He decided he was finished with his chore. Right as he turned to go back, he heard the distinctive snap of a twig to his left, causing him to freeze in fear. He cursed under his breath and quickly turned to face the direction of the noise. He gasped in absolute horror at what he saw. Standing in the shadow of a tree less than ten feet away from him was the creepy silhouette of a small, long-haired child. It had large eyes and pointy forked ears. It was leering at him from the shadows. Its eyes reflected light like a cat. He wouldn't have been able to see it if the lamplight wasn't shining on the tree behind it.