The Azra-El Series Ch. 19

"Oh, please," Siofra rolled her eyes, as applause resounded throughout the stadium. "If not for Blaze being a princess, they would have never let Sky go."

"Do not sell yourself short, Siofra," Jie Er patted her bushy head. "If not for your Righteous Fury, this may have turned messier."

"Let us head to the Xian embassy, Jie Er," Ying Yue said to her sister. "It will be better for you to stay there until things settle down."

"Okay."

The group flew over to Tir's side, and after Jie Er spoke a few words to the angels and the Undine, they made their way to the Xian embassy, along with Elyssa and her mother. Siofra went along with them, and Asherah did not stop her. In fact, the Pixie Princess led her to the Xian Embassy.

oOo

Blaze woke up in a large, musty, stone-walled room with small windows. Lightning lit up the darkness outside his window and thunder boomed a moment later.

He found himself on a bed with a very different-looking Siofra sitting beside him.

This Siofra was eight feet tall. Her fuzzy orange hair was fuzzier than usual and was splayed all around her head like a lion's mane. Blaze was particularly thankful that she was not sporting a beard.

"Yer a princess, Blazey," she said in a deep voice that befit her current size, as she leaned over and peered at his comparatively diminutive form.

"I'm a what?" gasped Blaze.

"A princess, o' course," Siofrid said, sitting down on the sofa that had been placed close to the bed. It creaked under her weight, and Blaze wondered how the poor thing still held on. "And a thumpin' pretty one, I'd say, once you grow out a little."

"No! You've made a mistake. I mean, I can't be a princess. I've always dreamed of being the strong, handsome man who comes to rescue beautiful princesses and solve all their problems. I can't be a princess."

"I am sorry. With a mum and grandmum like yours, you can't be anything else. Yer a princess, Blazey."

"NOOO!" Blaze woke up, with a scream.

He found himself lying in an ethnic four-poster Xianian bed. Jie Er, Rebecca, Elyssa, Siofra, and CG were gathered around him, in a large room lit by yellow paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. There were luxurious pink shades around his bed, the windows, and even at the doorway.

There was a cast around his neck, but it did not hurt as much as he expected it to.

"Blaze! You are a princess!" Elyssa, sitting on a chair right by his bedside, squealed in delight.

A ceramic pot with a serpentine dragon painted on its side rested on a nightstand by the bedside. Blaze picked it up, poured himself some water in a ceramic cup, and gulped it down. Then, he turned to Siofra on his left. She was back to her normal size and appearance.

"Siofrid, slap me," he said to her.

Siofra didn't like the sound of her new name, but Blaze's cast made her hesitate over swinging her palm at his clueless face. Instead, she gave him a sharp pinch on his hand.

Fuck! No! Blaze screamed in his head. At least let me be a prince!

Rubbing his stinging hand, Blaze turned to Elyssa and his aunts. "What am I a princess of, and why is Elyssa so happy about it? Oh hey, CG. Whatcha doing here?"

"A Xian princess!" Elyssa said, unable to restrain herself. "The HU cannot willy-nilly take away the property of royalty. Moreover, Xian is a sovereign country. As you are a princess of Xian, no one in their right mind will make a claim for Sky anymore. Whether you won or lost against Nikolett never mattered. This is awesome. I just cannot believe you are a princess," she said, bouncing in her seat.

Blaze raised a brow at her delight. He had never thought of her as a wannabe-princess type.

"Elyssa, let's make an exchange. Why don't you be the princess in my stead, and I will be a prince for all the other princesses out there," he offered, gallantly. "Wait a minute," he said, as gears began to grind inside his brain. He turned to Jie Er and said, "You are Xian royalty? Princess Ying Yue is your sister?"

"Yes," Jie Er smiled at him, but Blaze did not miss the hint of sadness in her smile.

"Then you are," he pointed a finger at CG, "my cousin?"

"Elder sister," Chenguang corrected him happily. "Cousin sounds too distant. I always wanted a sister."

"Did you know this when we met at Tir?"

"Yes. I requested that visit as soon as I found out."

"No wonder. It all makes sense now. But, why would you not spar against me?"

"How can I fight my little sister?"

"Little brother," Blaze corrected her. "It's another word for sibling. Please never call me sister."

"Er... okay?"

"Guys," he said after a moment. "I am sorry, but could you give me and my mother a moment?"

They all got up to leave, but Jie Er held Rebecca's arm. Elyssa and Siofra walked out with CG and closed the door to the room behind them.

"You said your mother was Vida Veles Lokra..." Blaze immediately questioned Jie Er.

"She is, and so is Nezha Shangdi, the Empress of Xian. I was a Kindred-child."

"Oh..." Blaze mused, while glancing at Rebecca's reaction. She seemed unsurprised by it all, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

The conversations he had with Jie Er about her mother suddenly fell in place. The mother she was referring to seemed to possess contrasting personalities. Now, he understood that she had been referring to two different angels.

"So, what's your Xian name?"

"Ying Jie Shandgdi."

"Ying Jie Shandgi. It feels familiar... Wait, did you win any YAMATs?"

"Two."

"Oh, wow! No wonder you are so strong. It makes perfect sense, now. Why the Hela did I not think of this before? And, Fulla Frejadottir?"

"I defeated her in the final of my first YAMAT. She was the reigning champion."

Suddenly, something else popped up in his mind.

"Is the Empress of Xian responsible for the taint in your wings?"

"In a way," Jie Er answered. There was no angst in her voice. Only acceptance.

"Then why did you do this, aunty?" he began to protest. "Sky is important to me, of course, but he won't be mistreated, even if he is not with me. You didn't have to do this. You should not have done this."

Jie Er let out a breath. "What happened before will not happen again, Blaze. Rest at ease. I have let go of what happened in the past. The reason for my hesitance at revealing who I was is very different from what you may imagine it to be.

"The world is a complicated place, Blaze. People sometimes do horrible things for reasons they believe are good, and other times, do amazing things for horrible reasons. Though I have given up on my identity as a princess of Xian, I have long since forgiven my mother.

"My mother tried to sacrifice my purity for the good of the world. Now, I realize that she may have been more hurt by it than I was. The sacrifice I am making now is very small compared to that."

"Aunty..."

"Hear me out. I once asked you about freedom and responsibility. You said you would not shirk your responsibility. Now, you will be a Princess of Xian, and the first Quetzal rider of the angels. These are heavy titles to wear, Blaze, but you can still let them go and free yourself of the burden. What will you do?"

"What do you want to do, aunty? What is it that your heart wants to do?"

"When I picked you up that day, you became the biggest responsibility in my life. I will do whatever makes you happy."

"I am not your child."

"In my heart, you always will be."

Blaze placed his palms against his face and rubbed it, while taking a deep breath. That was an argument he did not want to have or even think about. "What do I have to do if I become the Prince of Xian?" he finally asked.

"Shall we give my mother a call?" Jie Er asked, bringing out a VP. "I borrowed it from my sister, earlier."

"I don't know if I want to talk to her."

"Blaze, I cannot bear the idea of you having resentment or hatred in your heart for my sake. The reason I do not speak about what happened to me is because it is something that is between me and my mother. You will have no part in it. I am cured, now. Just forget that I was ever tainted."

Blaze sighed, unable to completely accept her words. "How should I address her?"

A mischievous grin suddenly sprouted on Jie Er's face. "However you want. Nothing too offensive, as she can be a little prudish."

"Okay," he agreed, impishly.

The VP rang only for a moment, before it was picked up. "Hello, Yingjie, how are you doing? And, how is my younger grandchild?" an old, but domineering, voice surged from the VP. Her voice was a little grainy but otherwise clear.

"Blaze is fine. He is awake and wants to speak with you, but before that, I need you to know this: I am not sure if I am ready to return as a Princess of Xian, yet, mother. You may have heard that the taint of my wings has been cured. So, I wish to focus on training and attaining the Deity level as soon as I can. We shall think about the rest after that."

"I have complete faith in your abilities, daughter."

"You should have had faith in them before."

"You are strong Jie Er, but the Deva level may still be out of your reach."

"I will not know unless I try."

The Empress let out a sigh. "So, grandchild. I have heard much about you from Chengguan."

"Yo, grams. You sound like a really old coot. What would you like me to call ya? Granny, grams, or old coot?" he asked.

He heard a light chuckle from the VP, contrary to his hope that his disrespect would annoy her. "Chengguan mentioned your playfulness, child. You are free to call me 'granny', but I can not have my subjects hear you call me an old coot. That is an affront to our nation, and even if I tolerate it, my subjects will not. Besides, I am pretty sure that I have another couple hundred years left in these old nirn of mine... What is it that you wish to ask of me?"

"What will be expected of me as a prince of Xian? Can I keep Sky even if I don't wish to be royalty?" he asked, deciding to get to point. He was going to leave the "annoying the heck out of his granny" part for when he met her in person.

"As the Empress of Xian, it is my duty to treat all my subjects equally, and with fairness. I cannot show favoritism, even if you are of my descent. However, I and the rest of the HU may owe Jie Er a favor. Hence, I think, just for this once, we can use your hatch-right as a tool to let you keep your quetzal, even if you decide to forgo your role as the Princess of Xian."

"Prince."

"As a Prince of Xian, you will have the power and resources of an entire nation at your hand. Only I, the council, your aunt, and your mother will carry more weight than you in Xian. However, with power comes equal responsibility.

"Every action you take must be made with the welfare of the angels of Xian and the rest of HU in mind. You are still a child, and angels are understanding, but you will not use that as an excuse. I may be your grandmother, but I will not show you any leniency.

"Think over it. There is no hurry. But, I will tell you this: We do not live in a time where the best of us can afford to give up their power for a life of carefree simplicity. Comfortable inaction is the greatest sin of the ones possessing power."

"I understand," Blaze replied, pensively. At Sekat, he had witnessed that the life of the Princess of Aranya was not as rosy as he had envisioned it to be. Her peacock dance had displayed a desire for freedom from something. The Empress' words shed some light on what she may have been craving.

"Good. I will leave the pleasantries until we meet in person. Enjoy the rest of your time at D'Warka."

The connection cut off before Blaze could say anything else.

"I learnt a lot from that," he said sarcastically.

"She is like that."

So are you, sometimes.

"Anyway, I just wanted you to understand what sort of grandmother you are dealing with. You will have time to learn more about your responsibilities. For now, rest and enjoy your time in D'Warka."

"Will we be visiting Xian? Do I get my own castle?"

Jie Er laughed. "We shall talk about it, later. I did get a castle for winning my second YAMAT. It is yours if you decide to become a prince."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Elyssa's head popped in. "Blaze, the reporter from the Aranyan Weekly wants to speak with you."

"Clio?"

"Yeah."

"Send her in. You guys can come in too."

Blaze let out a breath and composed himself as the reporter, Elyssa, CG, and Siofra walked in. Jie Er and Rebecca sat quietly by his bedside.

"How does it feel to be royalty, Ms. Blaze?" Clio asked, teasingly, as she took a seat by the sofa and pulled out her notebook.

"Don't know yet," he shrugged. "I am pretty stoked about owning a castle, but otherwise, it doesn't feel any different. Clio, can you write something for me in the next paper?"

"Oh? What is it?"

"I want to address the people of Aranya," he said.

Though he had only lived in Aranya for a little more than a year, he had hatched there, and had spent his entire current life there. He felt a sense of belonging to the country and to its people.

"Go on," Clio said, placing her pen to paper.

"I may be a Prince of Xian by lineage, but I need the angels of Aranya to know that I consider them my people. I am as much an Aranyan as I am a Xian, if not more. I hope the Aranyans will treat and see me the same as before. Their welfare will always be on my mind."

Clio narrowed her eyes at him and studied his face. "Okay," she sighed, finding his expression to be genuine. Then, she went into a spiel of other questions, both for him and Jie Er.

Jie Er was more accommodating to her questions than usual, but after a while, she ushered the inquisitive reporter out on the pretext that Blaze needed to rest.

oOo

By the next morning, the news of the previous day's events rapidly spread throughout the Heavenly Union. Blaze received a complimentary copy of that morning's Aranyan Weekly.

The Sizzling Sisters of the Heavenly Union, and a new princess of the Xian

We have all heard of the Blazing Fury displaying the Righteous Fury for a pixie, Siofra Eoiwagn, daughter of the pixie ambassador to Aranya. Many are already aware that the Blazing Fury and Siofra Eoiwagn are now close friends. In fact, their bond is so strong that despite a marvelous display of skill in the USMAT, Siofra forfeited her duel against Blaze, knowing what was at stake for her friend.

... the Blazing Fury's overwhelming display of strength and technique were not able to overcome Nikolett Lovag's defenses. Instead, she was taken down by a well-timed energy blast from the indomitable Nikolett, which hit her in the head and knocked her out. (turn to page 4 for a detailed review of the duel)

Nikolett's victory was rejoiced by many in the stadium, and the Malakim were ready to announce Nikolett as the First Angelic Quetzal Knight (FAQK). However, in an astounding turn of events, Siofra stood up for her friend as soul-stirring orange flames of Righteous Fury surrounded her diminutive form.

Words fail to describe the experience of witnessing a Righteous Fury. Not once did I feel threatened, but the small pixie felt very large. I simply wanted to kneel and obey her command. Not because I felt compelled to, but because I felt that it would be the right thing to do.

Thus, it is easy to understand why Nikolett agreed to duel the pixie when she asked for it. How could she disagree, when the World Energy itself ordained it?

What followed next was the most thrilling, yet grueling, fifteen-minute tournament match that even the oldest angels alive have ever witnessed (more on page 5). Ultimately, the duel was decided based on points, and Siofra surprised everyone by eking out a one-point win. It cannot be understated that Nikolett Lovag had been consumed by her earlier battle against Blaze, but the fact that Siofra is more than twenty years younger than Nikolett makes up for it.

Siofra's win put doubts in the hearts of even the most devout followers of the Malakim. However, Cardinal Amanah Tudor ...

Blaze Er Lokra is in fact the daughter of Princess Yingjie Shangdi of Xian, who has been living under the alias 'Jie Er Lokra'...

Blaze's status might have been the only reason why she may have been able to retain the ownership of the quetzal. However, Siofra's actions, and her Righteous Fury, have moved hearts, and convinced most angels of the answer to the question of where the quetzal belongs.

I think it is apropos to call these two loyal friends the Sizzling Sisters of the Heavenly Union. Having displayed the Righteous Fury for one another, can anything else come in the way of their friendship and trust for one another? Though their future cannot be predicted, these two are surely the strongest angels of the current generation. Thus, how can there be anyone else worthy of being the first Quetzal Riders besides the Blazing Fury and her pixie?

~ Clio Elen Musa

"Goddess dammit!" Blaze cursed as he finished reading the paper. "At least call us the Sizzling Siblings!"

Blaze Er Lokra's sincere address to the Aranyans

The Blazing Fury says that she is as much an Aranyan as she is Xian...

***

Siofra and the minion army, which now included five merangels, visited Blaze that morning, before they headed out to support Elyssa at her quarterfinal match.

Blaze, however, was confined to his bed, on doctor's orders. He had taken a mighty blow to the head, and was recommended a couple of days of bed rest as a precaution. Jie Er, obviously, had to take the recommendation.

He begrudgingly agreed to her wishes, though he coerced her and Rebecca to go watch the match in his stead.

As he lay in bed, half-reading a book on angel political ideology and half-musing over the events of the previous day, the door to his room opened, and the Xian angel who had been assigned to keep an eye on him stepped in. She wore a traditional Xianian dress with pink cherry blossoms embroidered over it.

"Princess, you have a visitor. She gave us the name 'Brija Dhara', and claims to be an acquaintance of yours. Do you wish to meet her?"

"Brija?" Blaze wondered in surprise. Though he had heard that she had been doing very well in the tournament, Blaze had not come across her since the party at the Burghess house. He wondered why she would want to visit him instead of going to watch Elyssa's match. Brija was in the quarterfinals as well, and it was possible that she would face Elyssa in the final.

"Princess?"

"Sure, let her in. Just call me Blaze or Fenghuang, please."

"I cannot."

"Call me 'prince', then. I insist," Blaze rolled his eyes. When CG had visited Tir, he had found out that the Xian were real sticklers for etiquette.

"As you wish, mistress," she said, and drifted out.

Blaze smacked his forehead with a groan, tempted to lapse into a tirade about the right way to address him, only held back by the realization that nothing could have been more princess-like.

A few minutes later, the angel showed Brija in.

"Greetings... Princess Blaze," Brija said, with an awkward little smile.

Brija was a tall Aranyan angel with short scruffy white hair and piercing green eyes. She was almost as tall as Rebecca, but at 94 years of age, she had almost reached the peak of her height. She was wearing a short white dress with a black leather belt, tightly wrapped around her strong, sinuous body, highlighting her curves. It looked very tempting against her caramel-colored skin, and Blaze felt something stir under his covers, as he reminisced about his time with her at Elyssa's chateaux at Cali.