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CHAPTER 3
“How’s the little prince?” I asked, sliding into the seat beside Cyan. He had his head in his hands, not even looking up to acknowledge me.
“He’s crushed.” Cyan whispered.
“He’ll get over it.”
“They’re his wings Kric! His wings!” Cyan yelled standing up. He seemed relieved to finally have someone to scream at. “He went through so many surgeries! He’s done everything he could! All he’s ever wanted was to fly and now-“
“Now what? Now he can’t fly?” I grabbed Cyan’s arm, pulling him back down in his seat. “The kid will fly.”
“The surgeon said there was so much damage. They might not ever work how they’re supposed to.”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t ever work.” I sighed. “He’ll fly. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that you raised a brat who won’t take no for an answer.”
“You didn’t see his face Kric. He looked so let down.”
“He’s five princess. Of course he looked disappointed. He gets disappointed every time he faces a challenge. That’s what little kids do.” I patted his head. “You’ve just got to teach him that adversity doesn’t mean you’re doomed to fail.”
Cyan smacked my hand away. “Don’t act like you’re a better parent than me.”
“I mean he does like me better.”
“Ugh! I don’t know why I even invited you!” Cyan groaned.
“Because your precious baby Ciel asked you to invite his favorite person in the entire world to see him after his final surgery.” I pointed out. “Good thing i came. You were starting to look like the entire world had ended. That’s no face for the queen to make.”
“I could kick your ass Kric.” Cyan grumbled.
“I don’t doubt that.” I answered honestly.
“Thanks for coming.”
“How could I not?” I looked at the closed door of Ciel’s hospital room. “You know it’s not your fault, right cyan? These things happen. War is a hell Of a time.”
“I know.” He insisted, but his frown didn’t waver. “It’s just, if I hadn’t been taken-“
“If I hadn’t had my throat slashed.” I added for him.
“That wasn’t your fault Kric.”
“And it isn’t yours either. Ciel is going to fly. I’m going to help him.”
“But what if he doesn’t?”
“If I went through life with that kind of doubt I’d have died a long time ago.” I laughed. “Stop worrying Cyan. The worst is behind you.”
Cyan opened his mouth, most likely to argue, but a loud call of “daddy!” From the other room stopped him before he could. “Is Kric here yet?”
————–
“The dragon is back.” I heard whispered the second I entered the forest.
“He should know he’s not welcome.”
“The audacity.”
“The gall.”
“I can hear you.” I called out, rolling my eyes at their sharp gasp. “Are you going to come out or not?”
“The nerve.”
“Dumb dragon thinks he can order us around.”
“I can still hear you!” I snapped. “can’t believe you think I’m the dumb one.”
“Because you are!” A little fairy shot out of the brush, her six inch frame flying up to buzz in my face. “Why are you here? Go away.”
“Enough.” I almost jumped out of my skin at the force behind the tiny voice that managed to shut up all the little bugs. “You returned.”
“I did.” I answered, trying to regain my composure under his scrutinizing gaze.
“Leave us.” Incendio spoke again and just like that, they all scattered away.
“You’ve got to teach me how to do that.” i joked, trying to dispel the tension. Incendio’s face remained a stone. “Listen-“
“Follow me.” Incendio cut me off, turning to fly off into the trees.
“Where?” I called, shocked at his bluntness. The fairy was never this easy to understand.
“On a walk.” The fairy spoke really low, the buzz from his wings almost covering his words. He looked over his shoulder at me, his pouty lips tilting into a smile. “You’re not scared of a little walk, are you Kric the dragon?”
“Is this a trick?” I looked around quickly. “You aren’t luring me into the trees so you and the little fairies can kill me, are you?”
“So you are capable of fear.” The fairy mused.
“I could take you and your little friends.” I insisted, feeling a bit defensive at his comment.
“Of course.” Incendio agreed, not a single ounce of sarcasm in his voice. “You’re welcome to leave Kric the dragon, we couldn’t stop you.”
“I came here for a reason.” I frowned, uncomfortable by how up front he was being. This was the kid that talked in riddles and prophecies and made my chest burn. “I came to see you.”
“I know.” He answered, this time seeming to find this conversation tedious. “If you’d like to see what else I know, you should walk with me.”
I could’ve easily flirted with him then. It wouldn’t take hard to make him red in the face and flutter away, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to try to regain the upper hand. The fairy was doing as I asked without a single complaint. It was my fault for feeling awkward. “Alright.” I sighed. “Lead the way.”
————–
“Where are we?” I finally asked after having walked through the dense foliage for almost twenty minutes. Incendio had kept unbelievably quiet throughout this time, never once slowing down or seeing if I was following. He must have known I’d follow.
“We’re on a planet called earth. It’s one of many in existence.” Incendiary answered, completely serious. I had to stop myself from growling at him in annoyance.
“Where are we going?” I asked instead.
“Nowhere in particular.” He replied, the words stopping me in my tracks. “What? Do you require a destination?”
“We’ve just been walking around for no reason for a half an hour?” I snapped, unable to fully believe him. No one, I told myself, no one could possibly be that empty minded.
“I said we had no destination, not that we had no reason.” Incendio corrected me, approaching a fallen over tree that was covered in green. “Hello my friend. Would you be terribly troubled if we had a seat? Oh yes I know he looks aggressive, but I promise he’ll be gentle. Yes, that’s so very kind of you-“
“Who in the hell are you talking to?” I cut off his conversation with himself.
“I am speaking to a member of the forest.” Incendio said, as if it should have been obvious. “Come, say hello.”
“To what?”
“To them.” He made a motion toward the overturned tree. “Or do you make a practice of sitting on someone with no proper introduction.”
The fairy was crazy, I suddenly realized. He was absolutely, 100% mental. “Hello.” I said anyway, walking toward the tree he had come to rest on.
“They say hello. They welcome you to have a seat, but it’s important to be gentle.” Incendio went on, patting a spot beside him.
There were so many things I could have said, starting with ‘you’re definitely bonkers’, but I took a seat instead, trying to make myself light so that I didn’t hurt whatever imaginary person he was talking to. “So…”
“A word with no purpose, just meant to overpower silence.” Incendio stated.
“What?”
“The word ‘so’. That’s all it is. It’s an empty word, devoid of meaning.” Incendio explained. “Do you know what word carries the most meaning?”
“As interesting as this vocabulary lesson is,” I began, “maybe-“
“The word ‘maybe’ isn’t as empty as the word ‘so’, but it invokes a similar feeling. It’s a word with no direction. It needs guidance.”
“So we’re back to the riddles.” I mumbled, trying my best to keep my cool. My patience was running thin. Normally, I would lnot have humored a fairy. They were pretentious and far too figurative with their words, but I couldn’t seem to find it in me to be rude. I had business with him after all. I found it far easier to ask for a favor when I wasn’t being an asshole.
I noticed the prolonged silence, looking over at the fairy who seemed content to just stare off into the trees, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Is there something you need to say?” I asked, noticing how his shoulders seemed to tense the longer I looked at him.
“I’m just trying to get into the right head space for our walk.”
“You mean we’re not done walking?” I groaned, causing him to erupt into a fit of laughter. Say what you want about the vague fairy, but the sound of his laugh was heavenly. The sound waves hit me harder than any current, making my body sting, but I enjoyed it.
It was like the first time we had spoken, alone in the bunker. His presence was like a burning itch then, but when he had spoken, it was an eruption of flame inside me. It was almost as hot as when his skin touched mine. Nothing, however, could compare to his laugh. “The walk we’re going on, it’s unlike any walk you’ve ever taken.” Incendio continued once he had sobered up. “I’m going to walk you through your potential.”
“Alright.” I consented. “What exactly does that mean?”
He cracked another smile, spinning to face me fully. “It means something terribly exciting.” I felt his hand grasp mine, his small little fingers clutching me surprisingly tight. “It means that you have been chosen by our goddess to receive a gift not many are given. She is giving you a map to your future.”
“Im still not following.”
“Do you remember the first time we spoke? Do you remember what I said about the future?”
I remembered a lot from that time. I remembered the sound of his voice and the feel of his lips and the seed he jammed into my chest. Unfortunately, the details of the conversation were a bit fuzzy.
Incendio, noticing my hesitation, decided to elaborate. “The future is never certain. Every decision has its consequences. I can see them, all of the outcomes. Would you like to see?”
“Is that even possible?”
“That’s what a walk is.” He chuckled again, setting me on fire once more. “It’s hard to explain. All you need to know is that i’m here,” He scooted closer now, practically setting himself in my lap, “it’s my duty to show you the way. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I found myself saying, completely transfixed by his unblinking eyes. Incendio smiled, wrapping his arms around my neck and straddling me, before burying his face in my throat.
“Hold me tightly.” Incendio whispered against my skin and I found my hands moving to grip his hips. He was extremely still, leading me to believe that whatever was supposed to be happening, wasn’t working. Before I could comment, however, I felt a strange sensation of thin strings wrapping around my body. I looked to the side, watching as the vines and leaves and moss from around us began to grow up and onto our bodies. “Calm down.” Incendio whispered, his lips brushing my ear. “It’s just for protection. It’s hiding us from the outside world. While we walk, we won’t be able to defend ourselves from predators.”
“I-” I was cut off as Incendio’s arms slid down and were placed against my chest, rubbing calming circles. If I hadn’t been so freaked out, I probably would’ve gotten hard.
“You must relax for this to work.” Incendio said, his soothing voice sliding through my ears like honey. “You must trust me.”
“Trust is for the dead.” I said instinctively, remembering one of the many mantras of the dragons. Incendio frowned at me.
“You must trust me Kric the dragon.” Incendio repeated, one of his hands sliding up to rub my cheek. “If you want to see the path destined for you, you must hand over control of all of your senses. Give me your sight,” He closed my eyelids with his fingertips. “Give me your taste,” he ran his fingers along my lips. “Give me your touch,” his fingers laced with mine. “Allow me this power and I will bestow upon you something far greater than sensation.”
This seems oddly sexual for fairy magic, I thought to myself, but decided not to bother him with the thought. “Incendio?”
“Yes?”
“Do you do this often?”
“Never.” He answered immediately. “This is an elder ritual. They go on walks with the kings and anyone else our goddess desires. It was our destiny to take this walk together.”
“So this is your first time?” I asked, oddly pleased by that fact.
“It’s your first time as well.” Incendio pointed out. “It’s your first time attempting to mingle your flame with anyone at all.”
“Mingle my flame?”
“That’s what we’re doing.” Incendio pressed his forehead against mine. “To take you on this walk, your flame must merge with mine. We’ll be a single fire. A single soul shared amongst our bodies. Your life will be my life. Your future will be mine. Your everything will be mine. I can not betray because I shall be you. I can not lead you astray because I would follow. Have faith in me, my dragon, and burn me.”
He kissed me, his lips so hot I almost pulled back, but the nearly excruciating burn seemed to set the rest of my body on fire. I had never felt this hot. Lava was coursing through my veins, numbing me to my surroundings. Fire was dancing across my eyelids, distracting me with the rapidness with which it moved. I couldn’t feel Incendio’s lips anymore. All I felt was heat. I was sure my physical body had burned away and all that as left was flames.
Then it was over, as quickly as the pleasure had started, it stopped. My eyes snapped open and the greenery covering my body was gone. The lips that had been against mine were quivering, attached to the fairy that now sat as far back as he could on the overturned tree.
Incendio was openly gawking at me, his expression a mixture between shock, wonder, and absolute terror. His wings were fluttering frantically behind him, as if trying to fly away without his knowledge.
“Are you okay?” I finally found my voice, watching as the fairy finally blinked.
“I- woah.” Incendio mumbled, still completely flustered. It was nice to see that the fairy didn’t have some deep, philosophical take on what had happened already. “Was that right?”
“Excuse me?” I almost laughed at the questioning look on his face. “Aren’t you the expert?”
“I have to speak to the elders.” He tried to stand, but I reached out and caught his arm before he could zoom away.
“What about all that stuff you were supposed to tell me?” I pointed out.
“I…” incendio blinked once, as if maybe that would make me disappear. “I will answer one of your questions you came here to ask me. I can do no more until I consult the elders.”
I frowned, but realized this was better than the nothing I currently had. “Did you do something to me that day, when we were alone, with the seed?”
“I did.” He said immediately, his expression unchanging. His free hand reached forward, pressing against the center of my chest. “You wasted a perfectly good question for an answer you had already known.”
“What did you-“
“One question.” Incendio cut me off. “You were given one.”
“You won’t get rid of me.” I declared. “I’ll keep coming back. Every single day if that’s what it takes. I came for answers.”
“I know.” Incendio said, it coming out almost as a cry. He pulled his wrist and although I could have forced him to stay still, something in me forced me to let go. “You have most of your answers Kric the dragon. Unfortunately, you just can’t seem to ask the right questions.”
——————–
Incendio’s p.o.v.
“How did it go?”
“Was it amazing?”
“What did you see?”
“Incendio!”
“He’s crying!”
“What? Why? Did the dragon do something?”
My sisters assaulted me all at once, their concern beginning to suffocate me. They kept talking, drowning out my pleas for the elders.
“So you saw then.” Everyone shut up at once, spinning around to give their full attention to Udiya, the most powerful elder of their forest. She flitted toward me, the rest of the elders following close behind. I should have known she would have already deciphered Kric’s prophecy without even a walk.”You don’t look too pleased.”
“I’m there.” I mumbled, knowing Udiya would have already envisioned exactly what i’d say. The images of the wall came rushing back at me. I saw him, leading the sun people army to greatness. He was strong, in control, unstoppable. His strength was almost suffocating and right beside him, clinging to his arm at almost all opportunities… was me. “I’m with him. I’m there. We’re together. His most likely future… it’s with me.”
“Yes.” Udiya nodded, ignoring the puzzled and confused looks of the rest of the fairies. “It’s quite interesting. Your walk must have altered his future greatly. You were never an aspect of his life before. Now you are-“
“It can’t be true.”
“It can only be true.” Udiya countered. “It can’t be certain.”
“It won’t be certain!” I snapped, shocking everyone.
“That can only be decided by the decisions that are made.” Udiya said calmly.
“I will never, ever make those decisions!” I sobbed again, spinning around and taking off back into the deep forest. I heard a few attempt to follow me, but the elders held them back.
I shook my head as I flew, trying to clear it of the images. The images of incendio and I, together. I tried to erase the feelings growing in my stomach when I saw him in the future, in love with me. I had to forget it. I had to erase it. It could never happen.
Kric couldn’t love me. That future couldn’t happen. I would do everything in my power to make sure it never comes true. I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t live in a future like that… in a future where Kric loved and trusted me… a future where I killed him.
Hello lollipops!! Sorry for the long delay! Updates are still, technically, Friday but I’ve had a really busy semester at school! I’m definitely working on updating regularly!
Remember, if you’re dying for an update, all you have to do is comment on ever single paragraph of the chapter! That will get you an update, a dedication and a follow!
If you have some free time, I’d love a little feedback:
-what are your thoughts on Incendio and Kric so far?
-would you guys like to see more of cyan, Elijah and their babies?
-what’s the most interesting aspect of the story so far?
-also, as just an extra little question, I’ve been writing a one shot book as well as a few separate short stories and I haven’t posted them because I don’t update them as often and I wouldn’t want to frustrate anyone, but I also love giving you guys stories! So should I just post them under the explanation that their updates will be far in between, or should I keep them to myself until I have time to update them regularly?
Thanks for reading darlings <3
Vote, comment, follow, etc. <3
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