Satis' Fire

Chapter 3: God Of Fire

“God of Fire, why are you really here in Kinnacia and why do you talk to me?” Satis asked innocently one late afternoon. Her small feet gently swung back and forth in the pink water, where she dangled them to feel the cool refreshing liquid. She was seated on a flat orange rock. Her dainty hands lightly grabbed the edge to keep her balance while her golden wings were relaxed on her back, and she let the lower tips touch the rock. Her cute tail wiggled at the good sensation she felt with her feet dipped in the water, making the corners of her lips lift into a smile.

She was oblivious to the gigantic presence in the dark recessed part behind the pink falls. It was where the “God of Fire” hid to observe her most of the time, whenever she’d pick flowers for Princess Nerindra.

“I find you… unique, beautiful and interesting,” he drawled.

She chuckled. “Really? Don’t I sound or don’t you think I’m obnoxious just like others say about me?” She even raised her eyebrows at her question. Then, she squinted her eyes to look at the falls, where the sound of his pleasant voice came from.

“Maybe,” he answered with a low snicker.

“Hmm,” she said, frowning slightly.

A ball of black fire then floated from behind the falls and hovered just right in front of her face. She peered at it, fascinated by its pure blackness that oddly glimmered with a hint of blue around the edges. She raised a hand to touch it, but the ball of fire moved backward to avoid contact with her.

“Don’t touch it. It will incinerate you in a second, unless the fire will let you touch it. Your kind is the most sensitive and weakest to this fire.”

“But you saved me by it some days ago, so why can’t I touch it now?”

“Because… I let it, but you’ll get addicted to it. And if you do, you’ll grow weak and powerless… unless… you’ll let your body be one with it.”

“What does it mean?” She frowned, still inspecting the fascinating ball of black fire that now gently danced in front of her.

The God of Fire only chortled, which she found neither amusing nor appropriate.

“Just tell me!” she demanded.

“You’ll know in due time.”

She stood up on the rock, her skirt flowed down gracefully as she moved. She put her hands on her small waist and glowered at the black fireball.

“I hate you. Everyone around me does not actually like me. The princess, well… she’s nice and all, but I don’t think she really likes me for real. Or maybe she does a little bit because I bring her lyābhēnala flowers every morning. And maybe, my ifuun don’t like me either for some reasons!” Her sweet child voice echoed despite the sound of the falls.

She stomped her foot indignantly, breathing hard, while the presence behind the falls gazed at her with interested blue-black eyes. But his globes narrowed after some seconds.

“Why do you think your parents don’t like you? I’m sure they feel… love for you, as you’re their only offspring.”

She shook her head. “My father always yells at me, always scolding me… that I should do this and that,” she complained.

Another chortle was heard behind the falls. “Parents are supposed to scold you, Satis, especially when you really do something bad.”

Satis grimaced. “Inu tells me not to do this and that either. She can be domineering even in her sweet, gentle ways, you know?” She gestured a hand in the air helplessly and hung her head, as though defeated.

“Satis, parents are there to guide their children. So if you do something bad, they will naturally scold you. Why? To make you remember that what you did wasn’t right. If they don’t tell you, then you’d think what you did was just right. You see, you need to learn what’s wrong or right. You won’t know it until it’s too late. Let’s say, when you hurt someone. So, you can’t hate your ifuun because they scold you now and then. They only want you to do the right thing, follow the right path where you’re meant to go and become a good Kinnari when you grow up. It is important that you know things the way they are. It does not necessarily mean you’re being manipulated or controlled by your ifuun. You have also your own mind to analyze what they’re doing. Aren’t I right? I know you’re a wise young Kinnari, Satis.”

Satis blew air on her face. “You’re lecturing me.”

He chuckled. “You need it.”

She sighed again and looked up in the sky. “Why are you always here, by the way? Why don’t you stay up there in your home? You know you haven’t answered my question yet, don’t you?”

The God of Fire sniggered at her words. “You do ask a lot of questions.”

“Which most of them aren’t answered by you. You’re so annoying!”

“Hmm… Just like Nefarion?” he teased.

“You know about him?” Her light green eyes narrowed at the ball of black fire that went up and down slowly. “How?”

“I heard you murmur his name, and you cussed at him when you fell once and I saved you.”

“Oh! That time.” She nodded her head a few times. “That infuriating Kinnara is a piece of work, I’m telling you! I hate him!” She held an index finger in front of the ball of fire.

“Isn’t he supposed to be your future mate?”

“No way! He’s not my fated one, and he’ll never be!” she disagreed vehemently. There were almost literal sparks of fire in her beautiful eyes.

“Doesn’t he like you?”

“He likes to piss me off, yes!” She gritted her teeth. “I want to crush his face with my hands, in fact.” And she balled her hands into fists.

The God of Fire laughed at the young fiery Kinnari. Never had he observed such an ill-tempered one of her species. She was one of a kind indeed. No wonder he was drawn to her, although they were too different from each other… and even though their two kinds would never get along.

“How would you know you met your fated one, huh, Satis?” His eyes narrowed as he watched her beautiful diamond-shaped face. Her thin green lips were in a grim line at first, but they curved into a devastatingly beautiful smile.

“Inu told me I’d want to serve and pledge my life to the one without even thinking it… just like what she did to Ifu. It’s… spontaneous. Like instinct. And it’s the same for the other one. It goes both ways, I’m told.”

“And you’ll be loyal to him for the rest of your life,” he supplied in a low tone, as if beaten in a match.

“Yes! No matter what,” she agreed with a smile on her pretty lips. “Well, what about you? Don’t gods have their goddesses, too? How is yours like? Can you tell me?” she asked eagerly, light green eyes brightening.