Satis' Fire

Chapter 6: Whereabouts

“Where have you been?” Varyz, Fireon’s oldest brother, demanded him. His eyebrows were greatly knitted that resulted to lines in his wide forehead. Just like Fireon, his brother had ebony skin, over six feet in height and well-built. He wore shiny gray robes and boots, a contrast to Fireon’s cobalt blue.

Fireon had just arrived in the main imperial palace to greet their parents at the throne hall.  The main imperial palace was the largest in the royal premises, which was at least thrice the size of Zortiyanna. It was the most imposing castle. It had a translucent effect from the outside with circular spires, and it contained ten floors. Each had its purpose.

The top floor was Fireon’s parents’ private quarters and where they worship the dragons’ god. The floor beneath it was the throne hall, where the picturesque panoramic view of the whole empire could be seen all around. The panorama showed different sizes and colors of the noble and ordinary dragon shifters’ abodes, hilly and flat landscapes, white waterfalls, green rivers, blue lakes in the east and trees dotting everywhere in a myriad of colors like green orange, red, aqua, pink and others.

The eighth floor was the waiting area for the subjects before they were sent to the throne hall to speak with the rulers of the empire. Here, the dragon shifters were strictly questioned and frisked if they carried anything dangerous, magical or not. On the same floor was the infirmary, since some subjects could not afford to pay private practitioners for specific maladies.

The seventh was the dining hall and kitchens, where the entire family ate dinner together. Next was the servants’ quarters; there were over two hundred servants in the main palace that served other castles as well, such as Zortiyanna.

The fifth was the main palace’s royal guards’ lodge, while the fourth was their indoor training area, aside from the vast grounds of outdoor drilling area that was in the back of the castle.

The third was a recreational floor for the royal family and sometimes the specially invited guests. The second floor was where the princes and princesses study magic and others, as the library was so vast with complete books, diaries, letters and other important and relevant references.

The ground floor was where a lot of royal guards were patrolling. Meanwhile, the dungeon was larger than the castle itself with prison cells. These prison cells were for those captives that needed to be questioned or in trial, before they were punished either by death or banishment to Nirba’kara. Whenever dragon shifters were found guilty, they were usually sent to the said place. But those who had grave offenses or crimes were instantly beheaded.

At the moment, Fireon’s brothers and sisters were also there in the throne hall, lined up respectively according to their age. His sisters were all younger than him, and he was the youngest among the eleven sons of the emperor and the empress of Sarvatt Empire. He had no idea there was a sort of family meeting now.

Half a dozen of Black Dragon guards were posted there, not to mention the palace maids that stood in a single file near the ten-feet-high platform. Their heads were bowed, whenever no one had addressed them.

The elevated area was mainly made of black marble. From the fierce faces to the tails of Black Dragons, these were carved on the side of the platform, which was made of pure gold. On each side, there were wide curvy steps to access the thrones.

The two high-backed thrones were placed at the center, by the far end of the platform, where their parents were currently sitting quietly. The thrones were glittering diamonds, which they were made of. They were dazzling every time Fireon regarded them, making his parents look ethereal.

“I was here and there,” Fireon’s simple reply to his brother, with a grin.

“You weren’t in Zortiyanna, fahi (brother),” Ammion, his fifth brother, pointed out. He more or less looked like Fireon but had stockier build and wore red robes and black boots.

“That’s because I wasn’t there, and I’m here, fahi.” Fireon beamed mischievously.

His brothers’ eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring.

Why are they so uptight? Fireon thought with confusion but dismissed it right away.

“Don’t tell us you sneaked out of Sarvatt Empire again to explore Kinnacia. Did you, fahi?” his seventh brother Taraggel quipped.

“Maybe he’s checking out some beautiful Kinnaris out there, if ever there are any,” his youngest sister Jeryaz implied, giggling and showing her perfect white teeth. She was sixteen and the prettiest among his three sisters with straight black hair that shone like magic itself. She was the most petite one with blue-black eyes that could melt any dragon shifter’s heart. Among his siblings, Jeryaz and he shared the same eye color. It was inherited from their ancestors, according to their mother. On the other hand, the rest of their family had light blue eyes.

“You do know you’re not supposed to go there, Fireon,” his second brother Fimerez reminded him in a firm deep voice. “What if they caught you? What if they learned you’re the youngest son of Sarvatt Empire?”

Fireon sauntered toward him, to face him. He was a bit taller than Fimerez, but he leveled their eyesight. “I know you’re afraid of the Kinnaris’ and Kinnaras’ powers once unleashed in Sarvatt Empire, fahi. But I assure you, they have no plans in leaving their realm to raid ours.” Then he turned around to face his parents. Even at the distance, he could clearly see their eyes that intently regarded him.

“If you’re caught, they can use you against us, Fireon,” his father said in a low tone.

Fireon mainly got his facial features from his father, who had slightly squared jaw that showed his manliness and male beauty, long straight nose that depicted aristocracy, not-so-thin light blue lips that suggested sensuality and alluring long wavy black hair. On the other hand, his slightly high cheek bones and thin eyebrows were from his sweet and strong mother. His parents appeared in their late thirties, but they actually lived for a couple of thousand years now.

“Is that what the Red Dragons are saying, Bah (Father)? You know it’s a lie!” Fireon’s jaw tightened.

“You have a best friend from the Red Dragon race, so why do you say that?” his oldest brother Varyz pointed out.

“Igivar’s and my friendship has got nothing to do with the propagandas and lies the Red Dragons are spouting, fahi,” he answered. “He and his Drannala House had never said anything that suggests fickleness or treachery to the Draggalo House. They’d been nothing but loyal to us Draggalos!” he defended Igivar and his family. “You’ve witnessed it yourself for centuries, before I was even born a hundred years ago,” he added.

Varyz could only shake his head in disbelief.

Fireon’s family had always thought that the Red Dragon race would snatch the empire anytime, if they were not looking or vigilant. Nevertheless, he refused to believe this. There could be a chance just like other dragon races—White and Blue—who may also vie for the throne.

Fireon always thought it was complicated to be in Draggalo House. It had a lot of potential enemies. But he couldn’t choose his family. He was a Black Dragon, and it would stay that way ‘til he’d die.

As for the Kinnacians, he believed they had no plans in raiding the dragon shifters’ world. Sarvatt Empire was a powerful one. But of course, there could be the possibility that Kinnacians would one day eye to expand its territory. Just that Fireon believed it wouldn’t happen anytime soon, as far as he was concerned and if it was going to happen at all. The Kinnacians, in his point of view, were peaceful beings. He had witnessed how they lived—and how Satis lived freely in Kinnacia.

Thinking about her made his heart merry, for some reason. She was only twelve, but she had this beauty and uniqueness he couldn’t point a finger on that captivated him. He must be crazy for feeling this way to a child! But then again, she was already considered of right age in their world. She was ready to find her mate, as she already prepared the necessary like giving their princess flowers. It was in exchange for her future matrimonial ceremony, a favor she’d ask someday from a royal Kinnari. So maybe he wasn’t a s*x-starved p*****t after all.

His lips were pulled into a smile unconsciously as he thought of her cute golden wings and swan-like tail that he wanted to stroke. Her round hips were perfectly shaped. He wondered how they would feel under his huge palms. And those small waist and budding breasts of hers were…

He shook his head.

Dro’cha! (Damn it!) He tried to pull his mind back to the present, where his family gave him hard and accusing stares.

All right, he had a Red Dragon race for a best friend, and he liked a Kinnari. That was obvious—to him at least—since no one knew about Satis. Yet.

They’d probably exile me to Nirba’kara if they even caught a whiff that I have a thing for a Kinnari. My own family might think I betrayed them.

He tried not to shudder at the thought of Nirba’kara. It was a dark place in one of the largest mountains west of Sarvatt where guilty prisoners were held. These prisoners were neither dead nor alive. Their consciousness was in constant agony, and there was no escape unless they were brought out of there and got awakened. By magic. No conscious dragon shifter could take a step into its boundaries and explore as they would immediately black out and get tortured. Anyone who might want to help needed to have strong magic to keep their awareness or they would fall into the same fate.

“What’s this family meeting all about anyway?” Fireon asked his parents.